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My name is Ishay “Jesse” Lindenberg. I was born in Israel. My father is a psychologist, and my mom is a consultant. When I was a child, my dad had an old Zorki camera and a darkroom. My sister Yaara (r.i.p.) and I constantly asked him to develop with us. I loved the process; it was magical to me. Later on, I was accepted to a personal program in the Faculty of Art, where I studied and experimented with photography and arts more deeply. In the last few years, I live and work in Berlin.
My first camera was purchased in India at the age of 20. I was photographing as an amateur at that time. Later on, during my studies and personal experiences, I acquired more skills. I don’t label myself as a ‘professional photographer.’ Let others be the judge. I prefer to see myself as an artist who photographs.
Surprisingly I never chose street photography. You could say it chose me …my love for photography is wide and I also like to take fashion and portrait photos. As for the street, I try to carry a camera with me almost everywhere, and if I don’t have one, I use my phone. The street is fast and unpredictable, with infinite authentic moments that tell a story. To me, these stories have artistic and also social value, so I try to capture them.
The greatest moments are constantly happening around us. Since reality is the best director, it’s a hard thing to plan. For me to develop the senses so they can detect these moments, that is the important thing. The more you observe, shoot, and practice, the senses get sharper, and the results get better. The best photos were just something I saw on the way to somewhere, or while I was doing something else.
I create a body of work that does not limit itself to traditional photography’s concrete guidelines, containing flashes of the human element parallel to a mosaic of our busy modern urban reality. Whether the story is funny, ridiculous, scary, or fantastic, I need to present my perspective in a way that triggers the viewer’s emotion.
At the moment, I use a Canon 7D, mostly with a 35mm f1.4 canon lens. I use it since it has a swift performance rate and I needed a fast camera. I considered buying mirrorless, but I’m an old-school DSLR guy, so it takes me time to get used to the concept.
All images are used with permission. You can find Ishay’s work on his website, on his Instagram, and on his Facebook page. Want to get featured? Here’s how you can do it!