Up + Coming: Thomas Kalak

German photographer, Thomas Kalak is known for discovering the odd and making it seem familiar. And his new photo book, Same Same, But Different does just that for Thailand. Thank you Thomas for joining us!

The obvious question: How did you get started with photography?
I used to be an active member of the skate-scene of the 80s. I started shooting in 1985, visited all skate competitions to photograph Hawk, Caballero, Hosoi, etc. for international skate magazines. In 1990 I started to travel the world to make other kinds of pictures. My first clients were fashion labels and tour operators.

What about travel is particularly fascinating for you?
I love other cultures. I need to broaden my horizon.

What are the steps you take in discovering a new place?
It depends on what I want to do. If my current client sends me to a holiday-destination to make some hotel pictures for example, I have a fixed time schedule and I know exactly what to shoot. If I want, I can stay longer in the place to check it out for myself. If I find it interesting, maybe outside the tourist places, I plan to come back there again on private. Then I make a complete internet and book research, plan the pictures and go there when I have the time. Most of the places that I like to shoot i know very good for years. Sometimes I go there just a week and "scan" the area. I make thousands of pictures of all kinds. At home I take a closer look and mostly I find a new topic. Then I plan a longer trip with other photo equipment.
What do you typically look for? What catches your attention?
Well I love to show something that hasn't been shown. The greatest is to show something that hasn't been seen!

Like the book, for example. Things like this haven't been shown much; there is one little similar book of New York called End Commercial, made by a dear friend of mine, but there are only very few books. And the objects in my book? Most of the people who traveled to Thailand tell me that they know about those strange things but hadn't really been that aware of them. I really love that.

Tell me about a place that has surprised you.
The most suprising place indeed was India. Every little thing is different from that little world you have inside your mind. The taste, the smell, the colours, the gods, the people, the clothing, the sound -- it's like being on another planet or in a Sci-Fi movie. The best you can learn from other places is that there is not only your country and culture. I'm looking forward to doing something special about India.
One of my photography professors often talks about the odd mix of familiar and unfamiliar while traveling, and you seem to touch on this a lot.
Yes, I like the unfamiliar. As I said before, show something that hasn't been seen. You need to search for it; you need to ignore the front row. Look in the second or third row. Sometimes you find out that things or happenings are very familiar, but nobody has ever taken a close look to it. For example, the book Wait for Walk -- it shows people waiting at the traffic. It's familiar to all of us daily, but have you ever checked the way they stand, where they look, etc.? This is real art. Show something that hasn't been seen.

What was your goal in producing this book?
Well, the goal was to make a brand new book about the country that I love so much. I'm really proud; it's the first one of it's kind. The target never changed. The main idea from the beginning was to make something totally different -- to work on a new topic. A book about the kingdom that nobody has seen before.

Favorite image from the book?
I like the cover-shot. The colors of the arrangement -- green and blue are very beautiful. It shows modern and traditional times. To me, this arrangement is as simple as perfect. It's in fact a sculpture.

You can find more of Kalak's work here, and the new book is available for purchase here.