Exploring Artistic Freedom and Social Responsibility with Sonja Stich
Sonja
Stich
Germany → Spain · Photographer · Unschooling · Inspiralab Co-founder
Designer turned photographer, unschooling mother, climate documentarian and community builder. Her lens prefers imperfection — and that's entirely the point.
How did photography become your path?
"I started my career as a designer. But after a short time, I realised that this profession is very closely linked to the capitalist system and involves little artistic freedom."
When Sonja had children, she made a courageous decision to break from convention. The Stich family embraced unschooling — a path that led her to discover photography as the medium that finally gave her the freedom design never could.
"I wanted my children to grow up as free and close to nature as possible and looked for ways to let them follow their interests rather than being educated by the 'system'. During my first years as a photographer, I documented our free life. Photography was part of my life; it gave me the freedom that I had previously been missing in design."
"I prefer an imperfect photo to visual perfection."
What do you think about the role technology plays in visual media?
In photography, I don't believe that technology plays a decisive role. The individual artists, their life experiences, and their individuality are much more important than the camera they use. I love photographing with limited technical means — the limitation makes me more creative. I much prefer an old analog camera to the best digital camera with the most expensive lens.
As a photographer, Sonja is not afraid of AI technology — "it has no soul, nothing to say, its only goal is visual perfection." However, she finds artificially generated images frightening in a political context where so much truth is attributed to photographs.
What does wellbeing mean to you?
"Wellbeing for me means that my inner and outer worlds are in harmony. When I don't have to pretend, when I can live my values no matter what environment I find myself in. As a designer, I often felt a tension between my values and what my clients wanted. As a photographer and teacher of photography workshops, I currently feel very much aligned with my values."
Tell us about your creative process.
"My creative process is very intuitive. Photography is an expression of myself, and I photograph just as spontaneously as I communicate or make decisions. I take my best photos when I make them very personal. When I have tried to plan a photo session, I find the resulting photos usually too distanced."
"But my way of working, where I have to feel every photo 100%, is also a problem. Because I can only take good photos when I'm emotionally involved."
"We believe that every single person can contribute a lot to a more beautiful, loving, and connected world if they dare to do so. Art is a powerful voice." A photography community that nurtures confidence and creativity in female photographers.
"More and more I feel how everything is connected to everything else — that applies to nature and society. For 2024, I wish that many more people would trust in themselves and their moral compass instead of delegating their opinions and decisions to others."
"I hope that we can all learn from indigenous societies who have always known that we can only survive together — together with other people and together with nature."
Antakly Projects — originally Ninu Nina — has been archiving conversations with inspiring photographers, artists, designers and creatives from around the world since 2003.
And for the personal rants, opinions you didn't ask for, and the occasional existential spiral: follow me on Substack.
Art is a powerful voice. ✦