Tina Lewis Herbots
Contact me if you’d like to
create together:
tinaherbots@gmail.com
A visual artist based in Belgium. Spends most of her time creating visual content for musicians and theater companies. Studied ‘Audiovisual Arts’ at LUCA School of Arts Brussels.
When my friends enthusiastically introduce me to people, the first thing they’ll mention is that I was the in-house photographer at Ancienne Belgique, one of Belgium’s finest venues. If the conversation goes on I tell them that other than being a music photographer, I take pictures of the streets I walk and capture my friends on film. And when I’m feeling bored I’ll browse through the world wide web to see what’s new. That’s that. But there’s more.
Besides wanting to be a know-it-all about music, I have quite a keen interest in cinema. Directors such as Michael Haneke, Gus Van Sant and Abbas Kiarostami are my greatest inspirations, because they devote a lot of attention to the aesthetics of their films. Most of these filmmakers like to keep their scenes sober, as do I in my photographs.
As a music enthusiast, I spend most of my time in concert halls, oftentimes taking pictures. I must admit that lately, I do prefer going to a concert without my camera. Over the years my body has learned to really feel and see music. Carrying around a two-kilogramme camera has become a bit unnecessary. I catch myself feeling guilty when I leave my house without something to capture a moment with, though.
One of the things that keep me going is seeing other artists working hard on their projects. I love the feeling when I leave the museum on a sunny Sunday having seen interesting work. It encourages me to make new things and try to give other people that same feeling. The person who got me into photography, about six years ago, has to be Annie Leibovitz. A classic. She’s done things that I’d love to accomplish: working for a rock ’n’ roll magazine, taking intimate portraits of great bands on tour and being one of the most respected music photographers in the world.
So here I am. My biggest incentive to keep on working this hard, I think, is being afraid that one day people will forget about my photos. I might have got this idea when I watched the great documentary Grey Gardens by Albert and David Maysles, a film about faded glory. And as I said before, I can’t leave my house without a little camera. It’s silly to say that it’s become a part of me, but I think it has. To see things and be able to share them with others is a pretty pleasant job, actually.
One of the things that keep me going is seeing other artists working hard on their projects. I love the feeling when I leave the museum on a sunny Sunday having seen interesting work. It encourages me to make new things and try to give other people that same feeling. The person who got me into photography, about six years ago, has to be Annie Leibovitz. A classic. She’s done things that I’d love to accomplish: working for a rock ’n’ roll magazine, taking intimate portraits of great bands on tour and being one of the most respected music photographers in the world.
So here I am. My biggest incentive to keep on working this hard, I think, is being afraid that one day people will forget about my photos. I might have got this idea when I watched the great documentary Grey Gardens by Albert and David Maysles, a film about faded glory. And as I said before, I can’t leave my house without a little camera. It’s silly to say that it’s become a part of me, but I think it has. To see things and be able to share them with others is a pretty pleasant job, actually.
This text also appeared on Subbacultcha Magazine