The Human Element

Photo blog of photographer, Katie Simpson, based in Berlin, Germany, originally from the United States. All photos and content ©KatieSimpsonPhoto and shall not be used or manipulated in any way without written consent. KatieSimpsonPhoto.com

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Organist, Paul Weber, performs during the Classical 90.5 Holiday Choral Festival at St. Martin of Tours church in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Berlin, Germany

Part 2.

All photos ©2014KatieSimpson

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Berlin (pt. 1)

Germany's Hauptstadt, meine Lieblingsstadt.

All Images ©2014KatieSimpson

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Buried deep within West Berlin’s Grunewald forest, on the city’s highest “mountain”, sits an abandoned cold war relic. Teufelsberg, which literally translates to “Devil’s Mountain”, was an American and British intelligence-gathering station built in 1963, used during the cold war to gain information and spy on the Russian Soviets and East German communications. Subtle it is not, the phallic structure was a source of pride for the Amis and Brits.

The mountain it sits on is a construct of rubble remaining from the bombings of WWII. 12 million cubic meters of this rubble was hauled to the site by the truckloads each day to conceal and bury and indestructible Nazi military training school, in turn creating a 115 meter high landscape.

The Teufelsberg site consists of three radome globes, two sitting atop three-story buildings, and one standing an additional six-stories high. The structures, which once housed satellite dishes and spy equipment, are now vacant, torn apart, and covered with graffiti. On any given day you will find sprayers throughout the buildings creating new art.

The highest globe provides a view over all of Berlin. We were lucky enough to visit during a beautiful sunset. Due to the architecture of the dome, the acoustics bounce amazingly throughout the space; even a small whisper will echo incredibly loudly.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Teufelsberg became abandoned in 1992. Like most open interesting spaces, in 1996 the property was sold to investors looking to capitalize via exclusive apartments and a spy museum. This plan failed, and after other interested buyers, it eventually ended up in the hands of opportunists that now lease the land.

At one time, adventures and curious wanderers alike could hop Teufelberg’s fences and explore; however now the group leasing the property have begun charging admission. Thuggish guards hassle those who attempt alternative entry. The group offers tours around the site, though it’s not hard to find your way off.

Greedy capitalist or not, the “Devil’s Mountain” remains of the most beautiful pieces of urban decay I have been able to explore. Though it sits at the top of the city, visible to most, it still remains a place of mystery.

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I recently made my way to my favorite city I have seen thus far, Berlin, Germany. I have numerous reasons for falling in love with this place, which will be divulged through more posts. I wanted to begin with a shoot featuring the reason I put so much effort into attempting to make Germany my home in the first place. Andrea is the most beautiful human being I have ever met, inside and out. I am lucky to be able to call her my partner, my girlfriend, and most importantly the love of my life. She is my muse.

This is Andrea inside of an abandoned children's hospital in Berlin, near Weissensee.

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Jack White headlined the second night at the Forecastle music, art, and activism festival in Louisville, Kentucky. White provided a mix of songs from his solo albums, The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and various covers. Being granted little access, 15 shooters corralled into a tiny section of barricade in the crowd, and being assaulted visually with a blue strobe light pounding down on the photographers, made for a challenging 3-song shoot.

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Gary Clark Jr.

Gary Clark Jr. sings the blues at the Louisville, Kentucky Forecastle Festival.

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Forecastle Festival: Day 1 When shooting a massive event with dozens of other photographers, who often are from wires, or worse, just there for the "free tickets", it can be easy to become comfortable simply hopping from photo pit to photo pit, covering the big name bands. However, the real photos lie within the small moments taking place among the festival-goers. The way someone smiles, or the honest embrace of a couple will often provide much better insight into the idyllic nature of these festivals. If all else fails, photograph the outlandish fashion, like bacon socks.

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Outkast, consisting of Atlanta rappers Andre 3000 and Big Boi, continued their reunion tour with a stop at the Louisville, Kentucky Forecastle festival. The festival is a three-day-long nautical themed music, art, and activism event featuring both national and local bands and businesses.

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Adore Delano, RuPaul's Drag Race season 6 contestant, at PLAY Louisville. I have been photographing drag queens around Louisville for over a year, and love the diverse personality that each individual brings. The moments I get with these ladies are often brief, so I have to be quick about lighting and posing choices. I have used a one light approach to all of my shots thus far. Sorry about the watermarking. I have had issues with having portraits stolen in the past. All photos are ©KatieSimpsonPhoto and shall not be used or manipulated without written consent. Feel free to contact about licensing.

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Recently I was asked by the Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO) to cover a night behind the scenes of drag at PLAY Louisville, the city's newest gay dance club. The drag community in Louisville is one I am very familiar with and have been photographing for some time. The first photo is Anthony Celestine, better known as Leah Halsten, who is originally from Austin, TX, but transferred to Cincinnati, OH to perform before landing in his current home of Louisville, KY. Halsten inspects himself in the mirror backstage before his first performance of the night. Next is Rob Harper, whose quirky, offbeat, and sometimes just plain crazy persona is Dee Ranged. He peers into the mirror as he applies thick layers of foundation and powders to create a signature look. Dee Ranged was a regular performer at PLAY Nashville, before moving to Louisville. Check out more photos and the full story in the print edition of the LEO, on news stands in Louisville June 18, 2014.

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New Blog Owner

This blog is new for me, however I have been a photographer for years. It is difficult to push aside any past work and create a fresh start here. This will become a collection of photographs and thoughts about projects and singles images I am working on at the moment. The view some of my past work view my portfolio at KatieSimpsonPhoto.com

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I'm Katie. I travel, make photos, eat, and hit the gym. Right now I am based out of my hometown, Louisville, Ky. One of my goals for the year was to begin and maintain a blog showcasing photos that don't make it to my website or publication. Come along on the journey.

Also, visit KatieSimpsonPhoto.com to see projects and my complete portfolio.

This photo was taken in Berlin, Germany. It's inside one of the last remaining black and white photoautomats remaining in Berlin, Germany (my home away from home).