Interview with Beda Schmid, Zürich Photographer

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"Those who like my art will stick with me." This quote is from Beda Schmid, an editorial and commercial photographer based in Zürich.

Beda has always been the one to break rigid rules. He believed that this is the only way that art can grow and evolve. It has never been his aim to please everyone. And by continuing to simply catch the moments as he sees them, he was able to fundamentally establish himself as a photographer in Switzerland and abroad.

His specialties? Portraits and corporate photography. Beda regularly switches countries and travels far for the perfect shot. He has lived in various cities and has been involved in some very captivating projects. In this interview, Beda reveals that in the future, he wants to shift focus to transportation photography, applying CGI technology to ultimately realize mainly car shoots.

Anina: What fascinates you about photography?

Beda: I am fascinated by the possibility of capturing a unique moment and freeze a particular story in time. It is about transmitting it and inspiring people who see the photographs. I want to spark emotions within people and to make them think.

It is very special for me to take a picture of something that might disappear ten years in the future. Or to dive into the past by trying to imagine what it might have looked in earlier times and to recreate it with the help of the 3D technique. This digital method makes it possible to bring long gone worlds or moments to life again.

Where do you find your inspiration?

My immediate environment is what inspires me most - the world I live and move in. I travel a lot and I see a lot of different things. I take all these miscellaneous impressions with me until the very moment where they fit a new project or idea.

For the most part when I work, I already have a very clear picture in mind of what the result should look like. Being a photographer is just like being a painter. I have a vision and try to best transform it into an image, getting as close as possible to what I see in my mind.

Nowadays, it is nearly impossible to create something fundamentally new, since everything exists already in one way or another. Still, it is possible to arrange new combinations. In order to do so, I often bring different inspirations from various places together to form something new.

How do you get a perfect shot?

There are four crucial basic ingredients. If they are fulfilled, you will get a perfect shot: The right aperture, the right timing, the right lighting and ultimately the right focus.

Over the years, thanks to numerous projects in areas such as advertising, editorials and landscape photography, I was able to gather quite some knowledge. Deepening my expertise has helped in making those four ingredients match. And of course, a skilled team is indispensable to achieve outstanding results.

Who are the most fascinating people you have portrayed over the years?

I cannot really give you names. In my opinion, every person has something very unique and inspiring. It is my task to make that characteristic visible and share it with an audience.

What is your favorite subject/topic to take pictures of?

I love taking portraits but I am also highly fascinated by taking pictures of cars and applying the 3D CGI technique. Basically, I am very fond of technical pictures that need a lot of preparation, previous location scouting, etc.

I would rather think about something three times and plan it thoroughly before taking the shot than to just click spontaneously. Yet, I also like taking pictures of skylines in different cities. These images are so full of manifold details and tell not only one story but many at the same time. Stories about you and me, poverty, money, the environment and ultimately life itself.