In the continuous flow of sounds and images it can seem like time is slipping through our fingers. When we pay close attention, we can really appreciate the things we focus on; we lose track of time, and experience the moment on a deeper level. As a photographer I want to capture this process of slowing down, and invite people to stand still for a while. Photography is pre-eminently a means for stopping time. With my photographs I want to seduce people to look closer, to slow down.
In my work this is reflected in the triptych Sanctuary, in which I superimpose various moments in one image and thereby briefly freeze time. Also, in the work Der Tod I pull time apart and arrange consecutive moments side by side. In the series A Falling Horizon, I’ve captured life as it was lived on a Dutch island for many years; which makes the book a document of a past that nowadays only lives on in memories. By thus condensing time or pulling it apart, I can let the viewer dwell on specific moments I want to focus on.
I approach my commissioned projects from the same vantage point. In the publicity photo for This Beautiful Mess, I play with reflections in glass as a reference to the past. Whenever I make a portrait, I always search for moments of stillness, when people are being reflective, or fully aware of the moment.
photo: Isolde Woudstra
Heidi de Gier is an independent photographer who works both on documentary projects and commissioned work for magazines, musicians and design agencies. Her work is exhibited at photo festivals like Noorderlicht en BredaPhoto and published in magazines such as Volkskrant Magazine, Vrij Nederland and Photo RAW. Her first photobook A Falling Horizon was on show at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam as part of the Best Dutch Book Designs of 2011.
“Her work is always more than just the single image. That goes for portraits too. It is subtle, she has an eye for capturing the details along with the bigger story.”
Lotte van Laatum, designer