Bettina was 14 when she was first introduced to photography. Her uncle gave her his film camera, and she instantly wanted to know how it worked. “By that time, I was living in a small town in the south of France. Every week after school, I learnt how to develop my own black and white shots in a dark room that was made available by the local council. I started taking pictures 24/7 – I captured my family, my friends and anything really that caught my attention.”
When we ask her why she likes photography, she stops and thinks for a moment, replying that this one is a tougher question. “I can stay drowned into something I find beautiful for a long time. I think photography is what allows me to preserve that emotion. I know I can go back to it by looking at the picture and still be in the present moment.”
This year, Bettina was shortlisted by Palm* Photoprize. “It was an honour for me to be shortlisted in such a prestigious contest amongst all those talented photographers,” and she confesses that she’s thrilled at the moment, because there are a lot of things coming up as she is working on music video projects and documentaries that we’ll hopefully enjoy very soon.