Hi! I’m Claudia Kindl, a street photographer currently based in Austria. I didn’t seek out street photography, street photography found me. I first came into contact with a more commercial genre of street photography while still living in Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.
Occasional acting assignments didn’t pay the bills, so I started to work as a freelance celebrity photographer for renowned media outlets to make a living.
I have a background in theatre/musical theatre and earned my BFA diploma in acting/theatre at the Vienna conservatory. I also have some experience in screenwriting. Street photography brings all these art forms together beautifully.
For me the streets are the greatest stage of life, a spectacular and vivid Shakespearean theatre with the most diverse, colorful and interesting characters, costumes and props you can ever imagine – unrehearsed, un-staged and unscripted. No need for a script because life on the streets writes the best stories. Just like in the theatre, I enjoy comedy and drama alike, always keeping my main focus on telling a good story.
I think of my street photography as pretty straightforward with a simple approach, mainly focusing on storytelling. Spontaneous, un-posed, authentic street moments and honest emotion.
Composition is an important element to me. I prefer simple and clean compositions with mostly uncluttered backgrounds. The human element is a main component in my work. But there’s nothing more satisfying to me than a good story. That’s probably the actor, director and writer in me coming to light. People often praise the humor in my work and appreciate my eye for the little moments that are often overlooked.
After a long photography hiatus, I fully committed myself to traditional street photography in 2025. Street photography is my greatest passion and best teacher in life, allowing me to be fully present in the moment. Out on the streets I’m in the flow, almost like a meditative state. Calm yet highly alert, I take in my surroundings and follow my intuition until suddenly, out of chaos reveals itself a moment of clarity - this is “the decisive moment” when I know it’s time to take the photo.
My work so far has earned me the following awards and recognitions:
Silver medal: Exposure One Awards 2026
Silver medal: B&W International Photo Awards 2026
Finalist: OSPF 2026, PSP and WSPA awards 2025
Honorable mentions: PISPA awards 2025
Honorable mention for my series “MozArt - Street Compositions” (ongoing project as part of a photo book) at the Fotoslovo Awards 2026.
