Tell us more about your background and what inspired you to become an artist.
I have always been interested in beautiful design and aesthetics and used it to how I live and of course in my work as a fashion photographer. I worked in fashion photography for many years but it’s a very fast-paced industry and the stress and work pressure ultimately got to me. This, in addition to unrelated circumstances in my personal life, was the final straw. From one day to the next, I gave up photography in search of myself, and a new direction.
Several years ago, I made a fresh start by exploring my hometown Düsseldorf, in Germany, on my bike and with my camera. I was looking for a new perspective and new ideas that were different. My primary focus was on the architecture in my hometown, which for most part is pretty commonplace, and in some cases outright ugly. I really enjoyed moving through the city while photographing and it made me realize how much I had missed both. With each image, I brought new light and color in my life. Through social media, I’ve been able to share my images all over the world. The feedback has been incredible and has encouraged me to share even more of the varied, beautiful, and colorful architecture in my home country. Our world is so colorful, you just have to see it from the right angle.
Can you share more about the process and how architecture inspires you?
My interest in a motif is inspired by when I first take the photo, and later on when I start the editing process. Sometimes, when I’m photographing, I have a specific idea in mind. Other times I just walk the city with an open mind and let my spontaneous impulses guide me. I have a great passion for geometry and pay close attention to lines and surfaces, and shadows and light. A powerful shadow always adds more depth to a picture, literally and metaphorically. The editing process also allows me to look at my images more critically. Although the composition and perspective of an image was already established when I first took it, the editing process gives me another opportunity to determine the intensity of light and dark. Not all ideas turn out the way I imagined them at first. And it sometimes takes time before I can transform an inspiration into art.
How would you describe your work?
I don't want to just simply photograph buildings, or other architectural structures, but rather, through my own compositions and perspectives, discover things otherwise not easily seen. Through observation, and the subsequent image processing, I strive to create something completely new, in a way that has not been seen before. I would like the viewer to see the images through my lens and focus on what really matters to me which is color, symmetry, and minimalism.
What is the recurring theme in your work?
My trademark is structured compositions with powerful contrasts. In my earlier work, color played a more important role. However, the importance of color has faded more and more into the background. In many of my recent images, different shades of white, gray, and black, and the overall composition, has been the main focus.
Did the pandemic influence the way you work?
Just prior to the pandemic, I had decided to focus on architectural fine art photography. The pandemic also made this easier as empty city streets offered many interesting motifs that would not have been available prior to the pandemic. It also allowed me to spend my time meaningfully at the height of the pandemic. Although it was a difficult time in other ways, it also contributed significantly to the fact that I am now doing what I love.