“Discovering Everyday Elegance: Jan Schölzel’s Striking Phone Photography in Unexpected Spaces”

In the year 2018, while Jan Schölzel was exploring the Malaysian archipelago of Langkawi, there were some days so sticky with humidity that he struggled to exit his lodgings. “It was the hottest, most humid location I’ve ever experienced,” claims Schölzel, currently residing in Hanover, Germany. “This must have been one of the cooler days because we decided to visit a waterfall.”

After enjoying fish head soup for lunch – a local specialty – he took a refreshing dip before heading to a nearby restroom. This photograph, captured on an iPhone SE, was taken facing the entrance.

The previous year, while living in Mexico City, Schölzel had developed a passion for mobile photography. “It was incredibly enjoyable to explore a city while capturing its images. With a basic iPhone photography application, you cannot adjust aperture, ISO or shutter speed, hence finding vibrant colors, an engaging perspective, remarkable structures, and pleasing compositions becomes essential. All these constraints stimulate your creativity to flourish.”

Schölzel chooses not to reveal if there is any underlying message or significance to the inviting open door. “It exemplifies how we can all discover beauty in the ordinary – and even in unsightly places like restrooms,” he states. “I aspire for others to be motivated to capture what they perceive as beautiful, as well.”