Finally, our late spring, early summer newsletter. In this edition, I share some thoughts on alternative photography print techniques, my current projects and thoughts on visual design! I am exploring unconventional printing and framing techniques and pushing my creative boundaries as an artist and designer. In this issue of our news/letter, we delve deeper into the art of printing and my creative experiments.
The inaugural print drop of our online fine art photography gallery ended just over a week ago. Reflecting on the experience, I can say that Daniel and I are filled with gratitude and a sense of awe for what we experienced and learned, and in the end, take away from this incredible creative journey we embarked on together in 2019. To summarise the whole experience in a paragraph of this news/letter would not be enough; I will share more on the challenges, mistakes we made, our creative process, and what we learned as I continue to brainstorm a “How to” article, I think sharing the pitfalls and challenges might help someone else setting up an online gallery and print shop. I will share more about this challenging but rewarding experience. More on that soon.
The “Elements” collection, inspired by the Japanese and Chinese philosophy of the “Elements of Nature,” took us on an artistic adventure through the remote landscapes of Namibia and Iceland, a journey that we shared with our first experimental print drop.
We face numerous physical and creative challenges during photo expeditions in these remote and awe-inspiring locations. We often face harsh weather conditions and challenging light. Still, each image we create is a testament to our passion for visual storytelling, perseverance, and a deep connection with the natural world.
With each photography expedition and story adventure, we aim to push our creative boundaries and that of our craft. Returning home with a bag full of stories and photographs that inspire us is what it is all about.
Throughout this inaugural print drop, we witnessed the power of art to inspire and connect people. Seeing how our fine art prints have resonated with art enthusiasts and nature lovers alike has been truly humbling. Our work has transported our audience to remote landscapes, igniting a sense of wonder and evoking emotions that words cannot fully express. We appreciate every connection made, every comment and every message of encouragement.
The response to the various formats and motifs we carefully curated for the “Elements” collection has been overwhelming but inspiring. Through creative experimentation, we learn what works and what doesn’t. We learned much and will apply the lessons learned to our next print drop in September.
We experimented a lot and pushed boundaries. From the convenience and versatility of A-sized prints and the elegance of European gallery sizes to experimentation with asymmetrical framing, we aim to cater to diverse tastes and preferences with our fine art photography prints. It makes us happy that our efforts to present photographic art in unique ways have been noticed and appreciated. We are inspired to continue exploring the intersection of art and nature, capturing moments of beauty and wonder that transcend time and physical space.
While this print drop may have ended, our journey as creative storytellers and artists continues. We are planning our next print drop and brainstorming new photo expeditions. We look forward to sharing our future projects with you. Connect with us on social and join us once again on a visual adventure to unique, exotic and remote locations and experience our encounters with the elements of nature.
You can read more about the “Elements of Nature” project on my website. I will update the main website and online gallery with more work as we explore all the possibilities of visual storytelling, photography and epic photo expeditions. We aim to develop our practice as visual and lens-based artists.
If you are curious, the art photography gallery studiolizanelouw.com is online; the only work currently available to collectors and photography enthusiasts is a small selection of open-edition prints. We will update the gallery with the following print drop in September. Many hours go into brainstorming such a project, so check back towards September to see what we will create next.
In the meantime, get in contact if you have any questions, or sign up for the studio newsletter to learn more about our future projects.
With a continued focus on the elements of nature, I am embarking on an experimental print project this summer. I have been curious about photograms and cyanotypes for a very long time and will experiment with these printing techniques in the coming weeks. I learned a lot from block printing, mud printing, image transfers, and batik in the past few years. What sparked a new project was an exhibition we attended in April 2022 here in Berlin. I was introduced to the work of Marie Clerel, her midi series, 2017–2019, at Songs of the Sky, Photography and the Cloud at C/0 Berlin.
The simplicity of the work by Clerel and the power in the process and thought behind it had a profound impact on me. I have since dreamed about experimenting with cyanotypes and photograms. When the opportunity came up to do a workshop here in Berlin, we dove in, and in a couple of hours, I was hooked.
I created some test prints and have experimented a bit with different papers and also photo paper. I stocked up on all the necessary tools and am now patiently waiting for the sun. I look forward to our experiments and the body of work I will create this summer.
Nature. Human Nature – A Juxtaposition in the Natural World.
The photography project “Nature. Human Nature” aims to explore the relationship between humans and nature through the cyanotype process and photograms. By utilising natural found objects discovered in Berlin, the project seeks to create thought-provoking and visually captivating prints that contrast the effects of coevolution and coadaptation. I am interested in the continuous process of mutual adaptation of us as humans and mother nature. Human actions impact the environment; this leads to ongoing changes and adjustments.
The project intends to communicate the impact of human actions on nature. The work will draw inspiration from minimalist and abstract art, aiming to create works that resonate with people interested in experimentation with alternative printing techniques and who love art, photography and pushing creative boundaries.
I am taking some time off from social media for the summer and will dedicate my time to sun printing. I am excited and inspired not only to create art but to recharge my creativity and to do more experimentation with printing. I look forward to exploring the green spaces here in Berlin and enjoying some sun after this long brutal winter.
I believe in experimentation and pushing creative boundaries with photography, printing and art. Those following my journey for a while know I have various creative projects running in the background, some in various stages of “production”, I will share more in the coming months.
Apart from all the visual, written and design projects I am working on, I have accumulated an extensive body of work over the years, and one of my main projects this summer is to edit my travel photography and travel journalism portfolio and share a collection of work on my website. I have been putting this task for years and have not shared much of my travel photography on my website or on social media. Finally, I will edit and add the work to collections and share it on my website. Who knows, the work might even go into a photobook.
One of the most important phases in my creative process as a photographer and artist is reflection. As summer finally arrived, I could feel the pace of life here in Berlin slowing down.
I decided that I wanted to move slow for the next couple of months. Summer in Berlin is magic, and I want to throw myself head first into this European summer. It is time to take a break and recharge. It is also time to reflect on all my incredible experiences on the road and ten years of epic adventures in Asia before I set off on another epic adventure to the East in the Autumn.
I will share a travel photography portfolio soon. I am excited to dive into my archive and re-edit the work I created on an epic mind-expanding adventurous ten years in Asia.
I have two months of studies left in my design certification course. I feel like I want to pick up the pace a bit and commit more time to exploring visual design. There are so many cools books I want to read. (I will share some books I am reading in the next newsletter.)
What I learned so far has changed how I look at content, write content, create content, and present my work online. To say that I am happy with what I have learned so far would be an understatement. I am also delighted to expand my creative repertoire and to be able to call myself a designer. I have always been interested in information architecture, interaction design, visual research and visual design, so I look forward to using all my creative and multimedia skills.
My days for the past year have been packed and challenging, mainly focused on our online art photography gallery and my design studies. I have spent months researching, sketching and iterating designs, and I look forward to sharing my sustainable travel app and design portfolio soon.
Once my studies are complete, I will offer more writing, photography and design workshops. I am building some serious skills and will happily share what I have learned.
Keep your eyes on my social media pages. Behind the scenes, as new projects take shape and the current flow of inspiration continues, I will share more of our studio work after our summer break. I will also share the creative process and the next print drop with the subscribers of the studio newsletter. Do sign up if you want to follow along.
Thank you for being part of this epic creative journey. Stay tuned for more photography adventures, epic photo expeditions and photo stories.
I have big dreams and big plans and will continue to share my love for the arts, design and innovative print experimentations on textiles, paper and other materials with you.
I aim to inspire, one photo/story at a time.
See you in autumn ’23.
Photographs and text by
Lizane Louw
As a travel & culture journalist, Lizane research, write and share original travel and culture-related stories. Lizane produces high-quality content for various platforms, including print, online, social media, and video platforms. Lizane enjoys writing feature articles, sharing experiential stories, and creating photo essays of all the offbeat, remote and interesting destinations she visits.