Now the fact that I read other people's About-pages doesn't make me a good storyteller myself. I'll keep it to some cornerstones.
What I do during the day
I'm originally from Germany from where I received a Ph.D. in Computer Science. With my research I have been working on new technologies to improve the treatment of cancer patients.
I'm proud that I have had the opportunity to contribute to this important field. Right now I'm a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California in San Diego - for 2011 I'm thinking of finally moving back to Europe. Feel free to contact me if you are looking to hire a creative computer scientist. You may also contact me if you are looking to sponsor someone to travel around the world and take pictures ;-)
Where it started and why
It all started with moving to the US. That was in 2003 when I moved to beautiful Princeton, New Jersey. Living in driving distance to New York City, Philadelphia, and the Atlantic Ocean, I had the right environment to get started with photography. Everything I do is self-taught. I basically started reading and experimenting the moment I unwrapped my first camera and haven't stopped experimenting since. As nerdy as it sounds, to me, a great way to spend an evening is listening to music and playing with pictures.
Photography for me is a tool for exploration and an outlet for creativity. I believe the use of a camera is my best bet as my drawing skills have not evolved since age 8. My photography on the other hand I think is always progressing in some way.
My photography style(s)
There are three main kinds of pictures I take at the moment. No matter what I do, I only work with available light and never use flash.
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Landscapes and Cityscapes When I do city and landscapes I often create HDR images. This means that I use a tripod in order to get an exposure series of each scene I photograph. Later on I combine exposures on the computer. I've been experimenting with this technique since the last five years. |  |
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Street and Toy When consuming photography as a viewer, street photography is what I can appreciate and enjoy the most. Walking through the streets with a camera and keeping your eyes open can be an exciting thing to do. Most of it I do with a digital camera. Only recently I also started to use an analog toy camera for that. |  |
Documentary-style Portraits My most prominent example would be the "Prison Chess" project. I'm hoping to do more such things in the future. |  |
Recent exhibitions and appearances
One interesting side of creating something like photographs is to share it with others. I like to see how my work is perceived, and that doesn't really need to be always positive. One of the greatest rewards of course is having someone buying a print and hanging it at his home or office. The following are some exhibition activities:- In 2009 I was selected Artist of the Month by Seen.by.
- Shortly before I left Princeton I did a photo exhibition at my favorite hangout The Small World Cafe.
- A group show of some exciting Seen.by artists took place at the OMC Gallery in Huntington Beach, California.
- Besides galleries and art walks, I think hospitals are good places to show photography. My first exhibition of that kind showed American cityscapes. The flyer is still on my webspace. It's right here.
- Since several years now I'm showing my work in this gallery in Germany from where I regularly receive fantastic news about sales.
If you would like to show and/or sell some of my work at your venue, contact me.
Picturesque movies I liked
Besides photography I really enjoy (mostly independent) cinema. I cannot help but recommend some really picturesque ones to you:| The Decisive Moment - Henri Cartier-Bresson This little documentary shows images by French street photography pioneer Henri Cartier-Bresson. The interesting thing about this movie is that his images are accompanied by his voice. | |
| Killer of Sheep This one is an old and slow movie full of candid scenes that would make great photographs. If you find yourself often in museums starring at street photography from recently past times, you will enjoy this one a lot. | |
| Baraka A documentary about the world we live in. Imagine the best travel photos you have ever seen and make them move. You might not be able to digest this movie in one session - it is quite intense. | |
| The Band's Visit Okay, this one is a bit different. It does have some great imagery, but it is particularly funny. Check it out! |
Finally,
since I spent most of my youth skateboarding, I feel like leaving a trace of that here, too.Have a good day!
