Story: Black Birds
Q. How did you find out about getting a gold medal? What was your first reaction?
A. My good friend called me early in the morning and woke me up with the good news. I was very confused and had a hard time believing that I really won gold!
Q. Can you tell us something about making the winning photos?
A. The story "Black Birds" has been a lot of hard work. I have been struggling to show the atmosphere and the emotions I encountered at the Kalembwana reservation. Many things were centered around superstition and magic and this is what I have been trying to show with my photography.
Q. How did you first get into photography?
A. I have always been very curious of the different ways people live their lives. With the camera, I found out that I could get really close, and that I was allowed to tell intimate stories that I might be able to pass something on to the people looking at my pictures.
Q. Who are some photographers who especially inspire you, and why do you admire them?
A. I spend a lot of time looking at the work of other photographers. It is very interesting to see in how many different ways you can tell a good story. I especially like photographers like Mads Nissen, Anders Petersen and Pep Bonet.
Q. Any tips for other college photographers?
A. I'm still a student and my photography is still young, but what I know is really important to tell a good story is: be curious, be honest and work hard!
To see more of Sofia’s work, click here.
Interview by Leah Beane and Hany Hawasly
