This is a visual journey through love. A real life story documented with photographs, handwritten notes, festival wristbands and goodbye emails.
An open letter to anyone who's felt it too: The highs, the heartbreak and the rebirth. This is the end, but it's also the beginning. This is, das ende.
artist: Paula Tudela
1.Can you share any challenges you faced during the documentation process and how you overcame them?
The main challenge was that making this book involved looking at pictures of my ex while trying to get over the relationship, which may sound contradictory but it actually helped. I forced myself to deal with it. My "homework" while making it was playing music, lighting a candle and crying. It was a deep cleanse.
2.What message do you hope to convey to viewers through this visual journey of love?
That no matter how lost you feel in your relationship or in your breakup, it is always possible to get back to yourself.
3.In your opinion, how can photography be used as a powerful tool for storytelling and conveying emotions?
I always felt like anyone could take a good photograph, but even a good photograph can feel empty. I missed content. I missed storytelling and making "das ende" has been a perfect way to combine both.
4.What advice would you give to aspiring photographers who want to capture real-life stories in a meaningful and authentic way?
Start collecting things that are meaningful to you, you never know where that object might end up. Also, be as honest as you can. There's this phrase I love which says: "No one is you and that is your power". The more honest you are with your story, the better your project will be and the more people will connect to it. Our feelings are universal but our stories are unique.
5.How do you think this project has impacted you as a photographer and as a person?
It has changed my life. It has shown me what I love and what I can do by myself once. I really believe in it. It's been amazing reading people's responses to the book, how they connected it to their own lives and even used it for their own breakups. It inspires me to keep on going. I couldn't ask for more.
6.What makes a photograph truly memorable and impactful?
It depends on the context. For this book, I used all of our personal photographs, some better than others, but I had a clear vision: Not to show his face and no rules with proportions. With this I mean that even if a photograph didn't seem special at first, I'd zoom in and find a truly special moment.
editor : Ecaterina Rusu