Claudia Loeber

We have all had those moments. Those times when we are juggling three or four different activities and assignments, all while trying to stay calm and happy. Photographer Claudia Loeber documents her busy lifestyle elegantly, taking us into her personal world and allowing us to connect with her environment. As a photographer, rower, and lover of family, Claudia is able to capture her teammates and family members while they are enjoying the moment, giving us a glimpse into a community that we may never get to see otherwise. Sure, in the back of her mind she is thinking about all of the other things that need to be done before she can get some sleep, but her images show special, happy and often times subtle moments that allow the viewer to slow down and enjoy.

Q. How does being an athlete contribute to your work? How do you balance your life as an athlete and your life as an artist?

A. I know that being an athlete has influenced my work ethic a lot because rowing is a sport that requires as much mental strength as it does physical strength. I know how to rally myself when the going gets tough, and I continually surprise myself with the things I am able to handle and manage. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into when I decided to row in college. It was a huge commitment to take on but it was definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made. Physically balancing the two taught me how to time manage and plan ahead and that is the only way I've survived art school and rowing. Emotionally it's been a little tougher, because I feel like I have a separate my identity as an artist and as a rower. Part of me knows that they are two parts that make up a whole, but I'm used to separating them from each other. I think that has to do with the two communities of people I surround myself with. They're so completely opposite each other that I feel like a different person when I'm around either of them. I've come closer every year though to bringing them together for myself and I think for my senior show I’m finally giving in and shooting my team and the atmosphere of the athletic world.

Q. What is your favorite body of work that you have created since the start of your photography classes?

A. My favorite body of work that I have created so far at Tyler is a series I did on my family in the fall of my junior year. The portfolio was for a film class and it was the first really large, serious, non-assignment-oriented body of work that I created. Sally Mann was one of my biggest influences for this portfolio, and Henri Cariter Bresson was the inspiration for how I approached shooting the images. I was really searching for candid, honest moments among the chaos of family parties and get-togethers.

Q. Describe the project that you are currently working on.

A. I’ve finally decided, with the encouragement of the photo department, that I am going to begin shooting my team and my sport. Women athletes, specifically women rowers, are my new focus. I want to create a show that describes the atmosphere of the team I am on, especially the psychological elements of the sport and the friendly competition. It’s something I love and that I have at my disposal. I’m actually getting pretty excited about it. I have so many ideas with where I want to take it!

 

-Elizabeth Fever