Paul Sullivan chats to Berlin street photographer Guido Steenkamp…

Where were you born and what sparked your interest in photography?

I grew up in a small town in West Germany, close to the Dutch border. I moved to Berlin about twelve years ago to start my first job. I began to take pictures more or less by accident when a friend gave a camera to me. Right from the beginning the darkroom was a kind of magical place for me: the moment you see the first contours of a picture on what was a piece of white paper seconds before—fantastic.

What kinds of photos did you start shooting initially?

When I moved to Berlin I started to take pictures of abandoned military bases. A vast amount of these facilities can be found around Berlin, given up by the Red Army a long time ago. After two or three years of doing this, I got bored of photographing ‘dead’ stuff. Instead I focused on street photography which is all about life in its various forms.

Did you study photography?

I didn’t study photography. I studied business management. I am head of a consulting department at a Berlin-based software company.

What got you into street photography?

I like walking in the streets and I like to watch people. The most exciting aspect of street photog…