19.04.2024 | Bericht
Laura Holder – Wasserwacht BRK
Sparkling blue water, a life belt in the middle and children, teenagers and a lifeguard gathered around it: not only does the picture immediately take you back to summer, it also shows great enthusiasm and lightness. How did Laura Holder manage to take this snapshot, which is one of the four winners of the BBK photo competition? That’s exactly what we’re talking about today with the 16-year-old aspiring lifeguard from Wiesenfeld/Karlstadt.
Despite her young age, Laura Holder is an “old hand” when it comes to the element of water. She first came across the water rescue service in the second grade – and swimming has stayed with her ever since. For all those who are not familiar with the term “water rescue”: This is the water rescue organization of the Bavarian Red Cross. Laura is training in the water rescue organization’s youth group in Triefenstein so that she can work as a lifeguard one day. A responsible job. Because whether in the swimming pool, at the lake, on the river or on the coast: lifeguards save people of all ages from drowning.
Everyone is welcome at the water rescue service
“But you shouldn’t be too afraid of this task – that’s exactly what you’re trained for. There is plenty of theoretical and practical training before you actually become a lifeguard,” says Laura, taking away any fears of not being up to this responsible task. She adds: “Volunteering is a lot of fun and you simply feel good when you can do something social. We also have a great community. It’s a really great feeling when you know that you might be able to make a big difference one day – and it doesn’t depend on your age. Everyone is welcome at the „Wasserwacht“!”
Two hobbies combined
Laura currently trains once a week for the water rescue service, but also swims laps in the pool several times a week privately. Outside of the cool water, Laura also pursues a hobby: photography. Normally, however, she is out and about with her camera on soccer pitches. When her father drew her attention to the BBK photo competition on the subject of “Volunteering”, she didn’t hesitate for long: instead of the green of the soccer pitch, the blue swimming pool should now form the backdrop for the perfect photo. But how did Laura go about it? Together with a friend, she first collected ideas on how to best fulfill the requirements of the competition with a photo of her volunteer work.
A hit at the last minute
No sooner said than done: at the beginning of June, the Triefenstein Water Rescue youth group stayed in the water a little longer after training – and Laura tried out possible motifs with her camera. What looks so easy today was hard work in the background: “For example, we still had a motif with the buoy where someone is being towed away. But that didn’t look so nice and we also missed the communal element in the picture. For us, the lifebuoy symbolizes that we are connected as a community – this picture was actually the last one we shot. But it was a perfect fit.”
The view from above
Anyone wondering whether a drone was involved in the unusual perspective is told by Laura with a laugh: “I took the photos from the diving platform. It took a little while to get the right perspective. But everyone really did a great job and it was a lot of fun.” The effort put into the picture composition was definitely worth it. Despite the effort Laura put into the photo, the news that she was in the top 20 came as a complete surprise to her: “I was really extremely surprised! We had only taken part for fun. But of course I was very happy about the good ranking.”
A photo on the road
Once the initial positive shock had been overcome – it was time to vote for the top 20 winners – Laura and the others promoted the photo primarily via social media – on private Instagram accounts, via WhatsApp and on the water rescue service’s social media channels. The photo even made it beyond the country’s borders. The photo ended up in a Facebook vacation group in Turkey, from where it traveled internationally. How does it make Laura feel to think that the picture has spread so far and wide – and can now be seen in exhibitions all over Germany? “Of course I’m proud of myself for coming up with the idea for the photo. But I’m also proud of the whole group who volunteered to take part after training. And I’m also excited – I hope that lots of people can relate to the photo!”
Laura’s winning photo can be seen in the exhibition „Held:innen von nebenan – Ehrenamtliche im Porträt“ in Kiel, Koblenz and Chemnitz.