…but if you want to know a little more about who I am, where I come from, what drives me, and why photography has been part of my life for more than half of it, here’s the short version:

If I had to describe myself, I’d say I’m a friendly guy, very outgoing, I love to laugh (and loudly), and I like surrounding myself with positive people who are pretty much the same. Okay, most people don’t laugh quite as loudly as I do, but I’ll let that slide.

I’m from a small town near Leipzig called Grimma. This is where I am, and where I’ve pretty much always been. Okay, I did live about 3 km away for a few years, but I’ve never really left. And honestly, it’s a beautiful place. So if you ever happen to be nearby and are planning a little day trip — consider this a small recommendation.

More than half my life now means more than 20 years… okay, for about 15 of those years I was still very far away from what I do today. But I was the 14-year-old who took his mum’s analogue point-and-shoot camera on school trips, and the 16-year-old who brought it along to parties. And I think that’s where my love for photography really started.

The idea of not just keeping moments in your head, but actually being able to hold them in your hands. (Back then, phones could pretty much only play Snake and send 160-character text messages.)

Then came my first digital camera, followed by my first DSLR when I was 20. If I hadn’t been wearing nothing but underwear while unpacking that first camera, I’d put the photo right here. But let me describe it instead: The underwear was so-so. The smile was priceless.

Then came the phase I won’t go into too much detail about, because we’ve all been there: animals, landscapes, flowers, blurry long-exposure shots of the sky, and lots of photos of friends.

Even with how fast-paced everything is today — all the influences, Instagram and everything that comes with it — I’ve never lost sight of the value of a photograph.

Maybe that’s a little old-school when you think back to the days when you had to wait a whole week to finally see the developed photos from the weekend before. But I’m really happy that I still feel the same excitement about photography today.

And the fact that I’m able to write these words here, that you’ve actually read this far, the time I’m lucky enough to experience right now, and all the feedback I receive from you about my work — whether on Instagram or in person — fills me with an incredible amount of gratitude.

THANK YOU