Claudia Kindl, A Resilient and Inspirational Street Photographer Celebrated for Her Humanity, Humour and Extraordinary Storytelling

We would love to know more about you! Who you are and where you're from? When did you start street photography?

I’d like to take a moment to thank Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao from the PSP team for providing the wonderful opportunity to introduce myself to the community.

Hi! My name is Claudia Kindl. I’m a street photographer from Austria where I’m also currently based. I didn’t seek out street photography, street photography found me. I first came into contact with a more commercial genre of street photography many years ago, when I was still living in Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Occasional acting assignments didn’t pay the bills, so I started to work as a freelance celebrity photographer, documenting the lives of public figures for renowned media outlets to make a living. Working the streets as a so-called paparazza taught me the hard way and the streets became my best teacher.

I have a background in theatre/musical theatre and earned my BFA diploma in acting/theatre at the Vienna conservatory. I also have some experience in screenwriting. Street photography brings all these art forms together beautifully. For me, the streets are the greatest stage of life, a spectacular and vivid Shakespearean theatre with the most diverse, colorful and interesting characters, costumes and props you can ever imagine - unrehearsed, un-staged and unscripted. No need for a script, because life on the streets writes the best stories. Just like in theatre and film, I enjoy comedy and drama alike, always keeping my main focus on telling a good story.

What inspired you to become a street photographer?

After working as a news photographer in LA for a couple of years, one day out of the blue I contracted a viral infection from which I never fully recovered. Unable to work, I was forced to return to Austria where I was diagnosed with ME/CFS, a severely debilitating multi-system autoimmune disorder, characterized by an “abnormal” immune response after physical exertion, which significantly impacts quality of life. My days as actress, singer and photographer were pretty much over. For many years I was mostly home- and bed-bound.

Not being able to work gave me time to browse through photography books of idols such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, Robert Doisneau, Garry Winogrand, Jill Freedman, Vivian Maier etc. It was also then, I discovered the contemporary works of acclaimed British-born, New York-based street photographer Phil Penman, a former news photographer (you may have heard about him ;-)) who back in the day used to work for the same news agency in New York as I did in Los Angeles. And I told myself - if he could make the successful transition from paparazzo to street photographer, I can too :-)

After many years of living with ME/CFS, I finally found a treatment that drastically improved my quality of life. As my symptoms started to improve, I left the house one day and slowly walked down the street, taking pictures with my old Canon 60D. I will never forget this day; it felt like coming back from the dead. Taking photos after such a long hiatus made me feel alive again. I perceived the world around me with deep gratitude and a heightened sense of awareness. In an instant, I knew this is what I wanted and hopefully would be able to do for the rest of my life. It was on this day, street photography in a more traditional sense found me a second time.

How would you describe your work in terms of style and/or approach?

I think of my street photography as pretty straightforward with a simple approach, focusing mainly on storytelling and spontaneous, un-posed, authentic street moments and honest emotion. I prefer simple and clean compositions with mostly uncluttered backgrounds. I basically capture what I see directly in front of my eyes. As I’m easily bored, the moments I capture have to surprise me, catch my attention or resonate with me in some way. People often praise the spontaneity and humor in my work and appreciate my eye for the little moments that are often overlooked.

Working as celebrity photographer taught me to take a bold approach as needed and capture a candid street moment without being noticed whenever possible. It taught me to not be afraid and approach people in a confident manner. I also learned to be quick and anticipate moments. But there are some things I had to “unlearn.” Thanks to ME/CFS, I had to learn to pace myself, use my energy wisely. It also provided a shift in perspective. I switched from a rather aggressive to a more passive and thoughtful approach. I don’t go on the so-called “hunt” anymore, chasing moments like I used to chase celebrities. I practice patience and prefer the “fishing method,” letting moments find me.

Street photography is my greatest passion and my greatest gift, allowing me to be fully present in the moment. Out on the streets I’m in the flow, almost like a meditative state. Calm yet highly alert, I take in my surroundings and follow my intuition until suddenly, out of chaos reveals itself a moment of clarity - this is the moment when I know it’s time to take the photo.

In terms of style, I try not to concern myself with it too much just yet. I believe style will define and refine itself gradually over time. I don’t like to force where I’m going, trusting the process and let it evolve naturally.