Interview with Susanne Bartels, Winner of DSPF 2026 Street Portrait category
Tell us about yourself
I am a fine art and documentary photographer based in Munich, Germany. Through long-term projects, I explore the space where reality meets imagination, balancing documentary observation with poetic interpretation. Working predominantly in black and white, I am fascinated by fleeting moments, human connection, and the quiet surrealism hidden in everyday life. My photographs invite viewers to pause, look beyond the obvious, and discover that there is always another world within this one.
What’s the story behind the winning photo?
My mantra in photography is simple: Expose yourself to the world - and magic will happen.
So on a brutally cold November day in Bern, I did exactly that.
I had been wandering the streets for hours. My fingers were numb, the light was fading, and nothing remarkable had happened.
One of those days when the city seemed determined to keep all its secrets.
Fortunately, street photography rewards the stubborn.
Then suddenly she appeared.
An extraordinary older woman with such presence that the whole street seemed to rearrange itself around her. She looked less like a passer-by and more like a character who had stepped out of another reality.
Although I almost always work with available light, that day I had a small flash in my frozen hand, inspired by Todd Visser and Mark Zilberman.
I raised the camera.
She looked straight at me.
Click.
In that split second, I knew something had aligned. I just didn’t know it would become my winning image at the Dublin Street Photography Festival.
Aims and Goals for the future?
I am currently working on two long-term projects: Mundo Aparte, a book exploring an extraordinary community in Puerto Rico, and Rites of Belonging, which reflects on identity, tradition, and our need to belong.
One of my greatest passions is Ikigai.Dialog, an ongoing photographic conversation on IG with wonderful Japanese photographer Kazutoshi Yamaguchi. I hope to share this project with a wider audience and eventually turn it into a book.
This summer and autumn, I am also delighted to present my latest book, PHANTASOS, at two international photography festivals.
Any advice for street photographers starting out?
Trust your gut. Visit exhibitions, look at art, and train your eye - they are among the best teachers. I keep albums on my phone with photographers who inspire me, so I carry them with me wherever I go. Don’t just click randomly. Work on a theme - if only for a few weeks. It will sharpen your sensitivity and teach you to see more deeply. Photography is like high-performance sport: you have to practice constantly. But above all, do it with joy. Photograph because you love it, not because you want to impress others. Never try to please anyone but yourself. That’s where your own visual language begins.
