MINDFULNESS.

I make pictures. Making a pictures takes time. Observing the subject thoroughly is essential. I feel the match of colour, texture and people and I always try to make the best of it.

ATMOSPHERE.

There is always an atmosphere. I don’t believe that a creative environment can exist without atmosphere. Awareness helps me to feel the atmosphere and maybe influence it depending on my requirements. Being aware of the atmosphere can start days before starting the creative process itself.

DIMENSION.

Dimension is a very important aspect in people photography. How close or how far away? How much room does the person need? How is the result going to be presented later? In people photography, dimension is heavily influenced by the connection of photographer and model. How close can I get?

ABOUT ME

my name is Andreas and I was born in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1967. I´m a self-taught photographer since 1999. Being a photographer means to learn constantly. State-of-the-art equipment might be interesting, but the state-of-mind is much more important. For the last ten years I tried to develop my mindfulness and as it increased, the happiness with my work increased too. I changed from “taking” pictures to “making” pictures. A turning point in my photography career has been a workshop with Bruce Gilden called “Be yourself: Find your photographic voice …”.  I’ve learned a lot and it changed the way I make pictures today.

What is the difference between philosophy and science? 
In science you ask: How has this photo been taken. In philosophy you ask: Why has this photo been taken. In art, „how“ is not important, „why“ is important. You can answer „how“ very easy but you must answer „why“ even more easier, if you can do that – your photo is real.

My workspace is everywhere. I work in my atelier or outdoor. I have my own mobile lights, that gives me the freedom to work with maximum creativity. I plan my photography projects; I train my mindfulness and I keep things simple. During a project, keeping the head and the gut feeling in balance is essential.

The final part of my photographic process is printing. I do printing myself and I love to see my work on a beautiful sheet of fine art paper.

I am a photo book collector for many years. Photo books are my main source of inspiration. My favourite photographers are Peter Lindbergh, whom I’ve met just one year before his death. I will never forget his eyes, they were on fire. I like the work of David Lachapelle, his creativity is unbelievable. Bruce Gilden is one of my favorite street photographers, his photos are real and unreal at the same time. Japanese photography is also very important to me, Daido Moriyama has done some incredible stuff. I like the work of Terry O’Neill, the photos he took from David Bowie are fantastic. I’ve met Terry briefly, he was a true gentleman.

I am not focussed on a certain part of photography, but I love to work with people and I love to be out on the streets, see, feel, smell and enjoy life.

“The joy of living dangerously”