The Atmosphere Between Us – Antje Clausmeyer’s Way of Seeing
Some photographers look for faces, for expressions, for the unmistakable stamp of individuality. Antje Clausmeyer looks elsewhere. Since 2021, her lens has been drawn to something more elusive – the atmospheres that hang between people and places, the subtle character of a moment that cannot be named but can be felt.
“I want to show moods and atmospheres more than faces or emotions of individuals,” she says. And that is precisely what her work does.
“I want to show moods and atmospheres more than faces or emotions of individuals,” she says. And that is precisely what her work does.
“The Invisible Stories of the Street”
In her photographs, people are present, but not as individuals to be recognized. They are figures in motion, carriers of energy, gestures, and postures that bring life into a scene. By removing the focus from the face, she invites us to notice something deeper – the rhythm of a step, the tilt of a body, the way someone inhabits a space.
The result is often an image that radiates stillness, solitude, or silence. Not staged, not posed – just real life, distilled into mood.
The result is often an image that radiates stillness, solitude, or silence. Not staged, not posed – just real life, distilled into mood.
“Animals as Citizens of the City
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Alongside people, Antje pays close attention to animals who live among us – pigeons, seagulls, crows. To her, they are not background or interruption; they are participants in the shared story of urban life. She captures them as part of the street scene, often illuminated by a bright street bokeh, their presence reminding us that the city belongs to more than just us.
She speaks with joy about the moments when these creatures seem to notice her, even communicate with the camera. In those moments, she restores their dignity, showing them as rightful inhabitants of the world we’ve built.
She speaks with joy about the moments when these creatures seem to notice her, even communicate with the camera. In those moments, she restores their dignity, showing them as rightful inhabitants of the world we’ve built.
“Not Documentation, but Translation”
Antje does not see herself as a documentarian. She is not chasing a factual record. What she creates is closer to translation – taking what she sees and rendering it through the lens of her own inner feeling.
“My photos aren’t reportages,” she explains. “They are fictional stories and emotional moods that are based solely on a true situation.”
Through careful editing – in color, in light, in emphasis – she reveals what she calls the “karma and charisma” of a place. What mattered to her in that moment becomes legible to us, long after the moment itself has passed.
“My photos aren’t reportages,” she explains. “They are fictional stories and emotional moods that are based solely on a true situation.”
Through careful editing – in color, in light, in emphasis – she reveals what she calls the “karma and charisma” of a place. What mattered to her in that moment becomes legible to us, long after the moment itself has passed.
“Rooted in Wuppertal, Carried by Community”
Antje comes from Wuppertal, Germany – a city she loves deeply, and one she is committed to honoring through her work. She is part of a collective of five women photographers, who support each other, uplift other female artists, and create projects that draw attention to the overlooked beauty of their hometown.
This sense of respect – for people, for animals, for places – is central to her photography. She never works in a studio, never stages scenes. Every photograph is born in a real, public space, shaped by the humility of observing what is already there.
This sense of respect – for people, for animals, for places – is central to her photography. She never works in a studio, never stages scenes. Every photograph is born in a real, public space, shaped by the humility of observing what is already there.
“A Story Without a Face”
Looking back at her images, Antje remembers not only what she saw but how she felt – the mood of the place, its presence, its weight. She reminds us that a photograph can tell a story without showing a face. That atmosphere can speak louder than expression. That sometimes, the truest portrait of a place is not in the details of who passes through it, but in the energy they leave behind.
This is Antje’s gift: she makes us pause, notice, and feel the atmospheres that live between us.
And that is why she is one of the Rare Storytellers.
This is Antje’s gift: she makes us pause, notice, and feel the atmospheres that live between us.
And that is why she is one of the Rare Storytellers.
The pictures and perspectives expressed above are those of the author(s) alone and do not represent the views of Rare Storyteller or its team.
to the world.