For Luisa, like many Artists, her passion for photography wasn't something she EVER imagined herself doing full time. (I mean hell, she pursued a career as a nurse for 5 years, appeasing her parents by having a "real" job. Can you imagine?!) But even with self-doubt in play, the key to her success was that she never stopped taking pictures. And thank the heavens! To think, even for just a second, that we could have been robbed of the opportunity to see the world through this babe's lens should she had chosen to give in to her fears makes her a huge motivation to keep DEVELOPING your talent, no matter what, until the bigger PICTURE is revealed! Pun intended. And after learning more about Luisa, I find myself rattled with excitement to share her with you because she truly truly TRULY is an Artist in every sense of the word, I mean... this woman even gets inspired by sounds and smells! So keep reading babe, and after you wipe the drool from your chin, don't forget to share your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Who is Luisa? Where are you from? How did you become the woman you are today?

I'm Luisa, a photographer from Berlin. I mainly focus on still life photography. In my projects, I often do art direction, set design and styling on my own. I love handmade things as well as building and crafting stuff.  

Tell us a little bit about what drew you to your medium. Did you choose to work with said medium or did it choose you?

In my case, it is actually a combination. When I was 15 years old I wanted to be a photographer, but at that time I was still too influenced by my parents who thought I should rather do something "decent". After that, I first did an apprenticeship as a design assistant (where I also learned the basics of photography) and then somehow ended up as a nurse in a hospital for 5 years. Photography & design has accompanied me all the years and never let go. Because I felt out of place in the hospital I eventually quit, moved to Berlin and started studying photography. During my first day at the university, I already knew that I had made the right decision. I have not regretted the decision to this day and I am forever grateful that I have followed my passion.

You have such a unique aesthetic. What inspires your work most?

In general, everything is a source of inspiration for me. My biggest source of inspiration, however, are different colors, patterns, and materials. Traveling is always a great opportunity for me to get to know other colors, materials, sounds and smells and besides that, it’s always a good way to recharge my batteries. I love to get away from my usual environment to get other impressions and to get the chance to come up with completely new ideas.

I´m also really interested in graphic design and I´m always surprised how many parallels to photography there are. Balanced compositions, exciting contrasts and color combinations is what I look for in the good graphic design and are also very important aspects in my own photographic work. I could spend hours in well-stocked magazine & bookshops.

How do you stay motivated? What does your daily routine look like?

My daily routine depends. Often it is a mixture of working on new concepts & mood boards, doing research, writing emails, buying props, build or craft something for a future photo shooting, take pictures and edit them and last but not least the most important thing: having a nice lunch break.

I think if you make the right decisions and find your personal right way, it is not difficult to motivate yourself. At least that's what counts for me. I do what I love, so of course, I like spending time with it. Of course, there are days from time to time, when I have less desire to edit photos or write emails. Then I try to do something else, for what I have more desire at this moment. It also helps me to do something completely different: be briefly inspired or mentally develop small, new ideas. When I do that, I can see the final images of a concept in "my mind's eye" – often this is my biggest motivation.

Give us three of your favorite/ most inspiring things right now. Could be a book, a food, a destination, a song, a person, etc.

In September I´ve visited New York for the first time. I went there on my own and stayed there for three weeks. That was awesome and I got a huge inspiration flash. I felt like a sponge that wants to absorb everything in itself. I definitely have to go back there and maybe stay there for a longer period of time.

In the future, I would like to do more food photography. For this reason, I currently read many issues of "the gourmand" because this magazine has such incredibly beautiful imagery and a slightly different approach than classic food photography.3. Right now I'm reading "How to break up with your phone" by Catherine Price. I think the whole topic is super exciting and the approach, to spend less time in the virtual world, is very inspiring for me.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

What are a few of your favorite tips and tricks for networking?

I think the following things are not only important for networking, but they are always important: Be yourself. Try not to be someone else. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Be interested, open, nice & authentic.

I find it awful when you get the feeling (especially at networking events) that people just talk trivial to you because they want something from you and after exchanging 3 sentences they turn away. It is my personal approach not to be like these sort of people.

 What do you never leave the house without?