Ernest Thiesmeier
From the DUCHELLE Archives
DUCHELLE sat down to interview Vice featured fashion and lifestyle photographer Ernest Thiesmeier. VICE Belgique — “Les photos d’Ernest Thiesmeier se résument en trois mots : joie de vivre”
Ernest is ein Berliner, with a father from Germany and a mother from Luxembourg.
You could spot Ernest with his analogue Nikon camera strapped around his neck, or out exploring his new country, Ireland.
Ernest shared his creative output through drawing comics, taking photographs and writing on his blog. His interests stretched from history and literature to visual culture and the relationship between images and society.
At the time of our conversation, photography was still a relatively new medium for Ernest. He had experimented with filming in Japan, returned to drawing comics as his visual expression, and eventually began photographing seriously after receiving a camera for his birthday following a trip to Korea.
For Ernest, photography was ultimately about freedom: stepping outside, looking at the world and seeing what was there.
The Interview
DUCHELLE: What did you want to be as a child?
ERNEST: As a child I wanted to be a historian. I love to read, but I haven't become a historian — yet.
DUCHELLE: What’s your favourite time in history?
ERNEST: History in general. As a child I was playing these games. I remember a strategy game called Age of Empires II, which was pretty cool. You can learn a lot about history from educational games like these. It’s the perfect way to make children interested in these topics.
I also played a game called Oscar Ballongfararen, based on a German series about this guy that sits in his balloon and fares the world. It’s a point-and-click game and you get to learn a lot about the world, about the plants and other trivia. This is off-topic, I know.
“I want people to look at my photographs and think ‘I saw something nice today.’”
— Ernest Thiesmeier
DUCHELLE: What made you take up photography?
ERNEST: My dad is a filmmaker. I never really took photographs growing up but when I was in Japan I had a film camera and I did filming on that and I edited the material but I lost all the footage on my software so I thought fuck it and I didn’t do it again.
I then started drawing, quite a lot actually. I did comics which was my visual expression. Last year 2016 (when I went to Korea) I got a camera for my birthday and during my semester I started to take photographs and have been doing it ever since. So that’s how I got started.
I’m very interested in visual things in general, looking at photographs through social aspect too.
DUCHELLE: What inspires you in photography?
ERNEST: The world outside for sure. The feeling that comes with it, being free. It’s freedom to look where you want and do what you want. In society you have to behave a certain way. Perhaps you’re regimented and you can create your own bubble, you can call it art I guess. But it gives a sense of freedom to your mind. The photographer who inspires me the most is Josef Koudelka.
DUCHELLE: What do you want to say with your photography?
ERNEST: Nothing. I want people to look at my photographs and think “I saw something nice today.” That’s all you can ask for really. It also shows the world from the perspective I am in during the given moment. I just step outside and photograph whatever is in front of me. There’s nothing professional about my photographs.
DUCHELLE: You’re doing a master in Dublin. Tell us about that.
ERNEST: I will be studying textual and visual studies which is a fashion of words and images. I did my Bachelor thesis on photographs of refugees in the German newspaper. I went to the library, gathered photographs and analysed the photographs through a method called semiotic analysis.
Photographs have not been researched as much as literature has but with the new era of images popping up and becoming a larger part of our society, the textual and visual studies is an interesting new perspective.
DUCHELLE: Has there been a moment in your life that was so precious that you didn’t want to photograph it?
ERNEST: When I grab my camera I’m in the mindset of taking photographs. I don’t carry it around without purpose and to mindlessly snap away photographs so such a moment hasn’t occurred to me yet.
DUCHELLE: What do you think of selfies?
Since Then
Ernest's photography went on to receive further attention in Dublin. His work was exhibited with the Dublin University Photography Association, where The University Times described his work as classic black-and-white street photography.
He was later profiled by VICE Belgique in a dedicated feature on his photography, “Les photos d’Ernest Thiesmeier se résument en trois mots : joie de vivre.” The profile explored his photographic practice, his use of both analogue and digital cameras, and several personal book projects. VICE Belgique — “Les photos d’Ernest Thiesmeier se résument en trois mots : joie de vivre”
From the Archives.