Forty double-page spreads of pure smoking. That’s probably the best way to describe the photobook ‘Pleasure to Burn’ by Fabian Niebauer and Carlotta Steinkamp. This little tobacco bible is full of quirky stories about first cigarettes, smoking mayors and confessions of addiction. From predictable tobacco romanticism to deep insights into the authors’ own smoking histories, you’ll find pretty much everything.

Alongside the texts, the photographs play a central role. The two study Visual Journalism & Documentary Photography and usually tackle ‘serious subjects’ in their photography. When they met in Hannover in 2022, smoking together bonded them. ‘We realised we both enjoy smoking, and then talked about doing an ironically glorifying project about it,’ says Carlotta.

What began as a whim, the two pursued with determination. They not only photographed fellow smokers but also went to tobacco fairs in search of the absurd situations that best capture the madness of this addiction. Before long they began to see their project as a book: early dummies and prototypes met with an enormous response at festivals and among friends. It quickly became clear that interest was far greater than expected – and, curiously, many non-smokers were drawn to the pictures too.

In the end they collected pre-orders to fund the printing with the publisher Kettler. And so the first published book by the pair, who usually focus on serious social issues, turned out to be a visual ode to smoking, of all things.

‘There’s a certain irony to it, of course, as we both normally do serious work,’ Carlotta admits. She sees the fact that the project has gone down so well as a sign of the times: ‘It’s lovely to be appreciated like this, because there’s a need for something light, what with the serious state of the world.’

Although the title ‘Pleasure to Burn’ suggests unclouded euphoria, a look behind the smokescreen reveals another layer. For smokers, the book may mirror familiar everyday life or a smoky evening down the pub, but at the same time it exposes the paradox of the habit.

The project shows how a youthful indiscretion turns into a lifelong companion. Smoking works almost like a superhero costume that lends a certain image and cool – while the flip side of this performance, in the form of poor fitness or a chronic cough, is the real consequence.

For the pair, the response to the book confirmed their work. They have since returned to their usual social themes, but they remain attached to the subject of smoking.