In The Game Magazine's latest interview, meet Kerstin Güntzel, Senior Picture Editor at IMAGO. With a career spanning over two decades, Kerstin shares her journey from a passionate photographer and journalist in Berlin to a key figure in shaping visual narratives. Throughout this interview, she shares what makes a photo stand out, the importance of storytelling, and how to develop a unique visual style.
Framing the Narrative: Insights from Kerstin Güntzel, Senior Picture Editor at IMAGO
Interview by Marcia Hyndman and Fatemeh Roshan
For over two decades, Kerstin Güntzel has been immersed in the world of visual storytelling, where the art of photography intersects with journalism, politics, and culture. Upon moving to Berlin to further her education at Humboldt University, Kerstin found herself so captivated by the city’s vibrant cultural scene that she made it her home.
Her deep-rooted passion for photography and a keen interest in current affairs naturally led her to a career at IMAGO, where she has been a pivotal figure in shaping visual narratives as a senior picture editor. “Since then, the events and stories of the last 20 years have been coming across my screen almost every day,” she reflects.
At the heart of her work lies a daily engagement with a diverse array of events and stories, which she skillfully curates and edits alongside her team. In her role, Kerstin not only oversees the live coverage of events and thematic collections but also mentors the next generation of photo editors at IMAGO, sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience.
In this interview, Kerstin Güntzel delves into what makes a photo stand out at its core. Drawing from years of her experience, she discusses the key qualities that set apart a photograph and, by extension, the photographer behind the lens.
“They (photographers) should definitely develop their own distinctive visual language and always work on their style. Sometimes dare to change your perspective or try out a modern visual language. And don’t lose sight of the little stories in the margins.” – Kerstin Güntzel.
Could you please tell us about yourself, your background, and how long you have been in the photography industry?
As a journalist, I have always been interested in stories and reports. In my youth, I started taking analog photos and developing them myself. During this time, I also wrote for a local newspaper. I moved to Berlin to study contemporary history at Humboldt University and have stayed until today. My passion for photography and my interest in politics, culture, current affairs and sport have led me to IMAGO as a photo editor. Since then, the events and stories of the last 20 years have been coming across my screen almost every day.
What is your role in the Picture Desk as a senior picture editor?
Thanks to my many years of experience in Picture Desk, I can, together with the IMAGO team, focus on the important and most interesting topics for customers in the daily wide range of content and thus do justice to the enormous volume. I prepare and structure large thematic collections and events and then edit them together with the team.
Something that is still important even after so many years: Always keeping your eyes and senses open, tracking down social issues, anticipating trends and processing them editorially. I am of course, very happy to pass on my experience and routines to new or younger colleagues.
“Storytelling allows us to participate in a world of emotions, environments, adventures, events, and landscapes from all over the world.” – Kerstin Güntzel.
From your experience as a senior picture editor, what are the top three qualities that make a photograph memorable? (Editorial, Entertainment, Sports and creative)
A truly memorable photograph always tells a good story. It has been shot for editorial, entertainment or sports with a great sense for the right moment. It contains emotions such as happiness, sadness, horror, struggle or loss, immediately touching the viewer. Photos in the creative field, for example, tell us stories from faraway countries but can still convey a feeling of vastness or tranquillity or even of hustle and bustle. A good photo has been deliberately designed. It shows the viewer the essential image statement and image design in harmony. The composition of light, colors, lines and shapes underline the photo’s message. In addition, technical factors such as sharpness and exposure are essential for a really good picture.
What elements do you consider when creating a collection of live coverage of sports or events?
The stories before, on and off the pitch/event, records and statistics, emotions such as concentration, struggle, triumph, defeat, key figures, constellations of people, relationships, dynamics and action, moods, for example, created by light.
“Something that is still important even after so many years: Always keeping your eyes and senses open, tracking down social issues, anticipating trends and processing them editorially.” – Kerstin Güntzel.
How important is storytelling in today’s photography? Any advice on how photographers can effectively tell stories through their images?
Storytelling allows us to participate in a world of emotions, environments, adventures, events and landscapes from all over the world.
Especially today in the field of documentary photography, photos that manage to tell a story – without big headlines and the numerous social media videos or statements – are particularly valuable. They tell us about the mood and the situation on the ground. Being able to tell stories with photos alone is one of the most difficult and important tasks of photography.
How can photographers keep their editorial work fresh and innovative, especially when covering recurring events or subjects?
They should definitely develop their own distinctive visual language and always work on their style. Sometimes dare to change your perspective or try out a modern visual language. And don’t lose sight of the little stories in the margins.
As the last question, can you share an experience where a particular image or photo story deeply impacted you personally?
There are always photo reports of events that touch me deeply. I can show you a few examples.
You can view some of Kerstine’s photo collections here:
Entertainment: Famous Feminists, Angela Davis
IMAGO Creative: Baby Boomer Generation, Generation Z, Generation Y Millenials, Generation X
IMAGO Creative, Seasons, Autumn
IMAGO Cultures of the world: Toraja people in Indonesia
IMAGO Nature: Our Earth, Animals, Masters of Camouflage
Current Affairs: Saxony and the Structural Changes in Lusatia
Current Affairs: France, Life in the Paris Banlieues
The credit of the cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire / Avishek Das.