Behind the lens: Sonia Ziegler

You have developed a unique style in the short time you’ve been shooting. Was this something you were consciously striving for or did it come naturally?
Actually, it came more natural than I ever expected. Before I started shooting skate photos, I never thought I would end up creating anything like this black and white artistic style of mine. I simply had a borrowed Canon camera and two friends with me, one summer day in Copenhagen in 2015, and then it all started. We were biking around CPH to shoot photos, and when arriving at a spot next to the Red Plaza in Nørrebro, something happened. The ground at the spot was filled with stripes, and somehow I instantly saw opportunities. And since then, I’ve been working a lot with lines, forms, shapes, shadows, compositions etc.

Are there particular photographers you look up to and are inspired by?
Well, I have never really been the hanging-up-posters-of-my-idols kind of person, but that doesn’t mean I don’t look up to anyone. I admire so many people and their work, and I get inspired from so many different things. I have many friends around me whom I find insanely talented and dedicated, and I get very inspired from them and passionate people in general.

You’ve recently returned to Copenhagen from a nine month stint in South America. What was the craziest place you skated or shot a skate photo?
The skatepark in La Paz Bolivia, was probably the coolest place I had a little session going on, just because I had heard so much about it and finally I was able to visit it. Then Brazil must have been the best place where I shot skate photos. I feel like a left that country with a bunch of bad ass shots!

What’s in your camera bag when you travel?
I usually keep it very simple and just carry one camera house and maybe 2 or 3 lenses. I prefer not to carry around lots of heavy equipment.

How do you choose your travel destinations and where is the next place you plan to go?
It’s hard to explain, because I feel like every trip was created so differently. Sometimes I choose a certain destination and plan the trip before leaving, and other times I rather spontaneously end up going somewhere. It’s always different. My next destination will be Japan, which I am sure is going to be an exciting trip!

Are there any places you’ve been that had an amazing skate culture or community you didn’t expect to find?
When traveling, I haven’t really seen any tight skate community I didn’t expect to find before arriving, but sometimes I’ve been passing through smaller villages around the world, where I would end up discovering small local skateparks. In these small cities, I have never seen any solid skate scene, but it’s funny to see how some desolate towns actually can have proper skateparks too.

Interview: Sarah Huston
Photos: Sonia Ziegler