Lisi Niesner

Lisi Niesner

Based
Vienna, Austria
Born
Vienna, Austria
Status
Photographer
“The biggest lesson I've learnt is to be critical of my work and to remain modest.”

Beat

I cover news, sports and features.

One Shot

. NICKELSDORF, Austria. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Music fans cheer during the Nova Rock Music Festival as a storm approaches the arena in Nickelsdorf, Austria.
“The images I like best change every few months. This is one I like to remember because it was one of my first assignments for Reuters and pretty much everything went wrong that weekend. I was covering a rock festival in Austria when a storm warning was issued. The sky darkened quickly and a strong wind blew up the dust. The mood was fantastic. When Joan Jett started performing 'I love Rock ‘n’ Roll' the crowd’s mood peaked.”

Profile

When I was about six years old I wouldn’t stop begging my father to give me a camera. Finally he handed over an old compact camera with slide film. I was pretty disappointed with the result; I got small-framed, transparent pictures and not one single print to show.

I studied photography in Vienna. It taught me what I did not want to do: shooting staged scenes and people in a studio.

During my first news assignment I felt very uncomfortable. I was the only female photographer there and the men acted as if I didn’t exist. I was pushed around as I tried to find a spot to shoot between them. I was not satisfied with the result but in the end the paper’s chief editor was pleased and I signed my first contract as a news photographer.

In documentary photography, it is important to understand the basic facts and the context of the story. Shooting a comprehensive report on a complicated issues can be demanding. During a story, I never stop questioning myself on the facts and I keep on double-checking. An unbiased approach is as important as respecting the people involved.

Reporting is often not comfortable or glamorous. We have to wait in the heat and the rain, sit on the ground, get squashed in a crowd, work on weekends, get called suddenly to report on a crisis. But the worst is having to deal with people who don't want us to report.

I most enjoy covering assignments outside in nature and the middle of nowhere.

The biggest lesson I've learnt is to be critical of my work and to remain modest.

Behind the Scenes

. Kitzbuehel, Austria
Reuters Photographer Lisi Niesner shoots photos in a snowstorm, after the Alpine Skiing super G race in Kitzbuehel, Austria, was cancelled.
. Galtuer, Austria
Lisi Niesner sits with the glacier remote camera and solar panel near Jamtalferner glacier, near Galtuer, Austria.