#ignt_aquatic Winner Willy Lamers

– Please only submit your own photographs to the project and keep them in a square format. Any image tagged until Sunday 0.00 am MESZ is eligible to be featured right here.
– If you want to submit your photo, use the hashtag #ignt_selfportrait and upload your photo until Sunday the 07.06 on your Instagram account. Have fun and good luck, we can’t wait to see your submissions.

London-based Dutch mobile photographer Willy Lamers aka @wpa won this feature with her submission to our last weeks hashtag #ignt_aquatic. Inspired by the contest, she created a separate account devoted to her swims called @wpa_swims. Thank you for all your submissions.

Follow: @wpa_swims

When and where did you take the picture? Tell us a little about the idea behind it.

I spent six days in Berlin in February and was looking for a pool to go for a swim when I realised it had many historically and architecturally interesting pools. So I ended up swimming in a different pool each day. I guess it was my take on the tourist and the mirror selfie ;) This one I took in my favourite building of all – Stadtbad Mitte, a beautiful light and sunny 1920/30s pool.

I still go swimming when I’m away from home but finding a suitable mirror is challenging! But I find pools fascinating anyway and the #ignt_aquatic topic inspired me to set up a separate account devoted to my swims.

Where are you from? How does that place influence the way you photograph?

I’m Dutch but live in London after I moved to the UK to study in 2004. I look for graphic elements in my surroundings, geometric shapes and uncluttered backgrounds and find myself shooting a lot while I’m out of the city actually and traveling, cycling, or walking in deserted areas. I like the contrast. Sometimes there’s a subject or moment I try to capture, sometimes it’s just a graphic/abstract landscape.

Who and what are the things that inspire you? 

Conceptual art, graphic design, tourism, consumerism, nature, empty places, the unexpected… and water! I love the work of Luigi Ghirri who was a great Italian artist and photographer but there are many others, for example the french street artist OX.  

Your favorite Instagrammers?

Many! Who I follow on (on @wpa) I find interesting so have a look! But to name a few: the work of @stuffcarlsees, the colourful crops of @thisisnow_here, the sunny shots of @george_byrne, the series of @i_c_i, the feed and words of @tomskipp and the daily dutch skies of @carelwillink.

Which Apps do you use to edit your pictures?

Just vscocam 99% of the time – I did cheat a little with this one though ;). I read from previous Insta Favs here on the blog about SKRWT. Think I need that! 

Tell us a little about your everyday. (Family, friends, work, etc.)

I currently work full-time as a Graphic Designer and work often from home or I meet my work mates at a cafe or we find a random desk somewhere, it’s quite flexible. I get some small photography jobs on the side and otherwise the photography is mostly personal work. I often break up the working day with a swim at the lido around lunchtime as I don’t like sitting down all day and not getting out, plus swimming is great for the mind and often get ideas while in the water.

Apart from that I like to have a drink or food with friends, go to see a film, visit expos and events, and just sitting in the sunshine in the back garden is also a favourite. Or I visit family and friends back in the Netherlands or travel somewhere else to get away from London. I’m lucky to be able to work from anywhere really so I should plan where to go for my next swim!

All images © Willy Lamers