And I’m a San Francisco based film photographer. Originally I am from Germany, then I’ve made England my home for 8 years. I locked all my things away and have been travelling all over the world with one suitcase for two years and now I live in California. A lifetime ago I started out as a film editor. Those years taught me all about visual storytelling, the importance of continuity and choosing the right shot for the right moment. I’m still telling stories today – but of two people, and in one single frame.
Being a photographer is the best job I can imagine. Every week I work with people, getting to know them on a personal level and see what makes them who they truly are. I am asked to travel to places so beautiful that I can’t even complain about the airline food. Last year I travelled 33,531 miles through 13 different countries for my couples and I loved every minute of it because in the end I have the opportunity to create something that really matters to people.
I prefer working in a documentary style and shoot on film at every session for quite a few reasons, none of them nostalgic. I love that I am connected to my subject with no distraction like a screen on the back of my camera. I even love that shooting film is difficult. It slows me down and I can really concentrate on exposing the exact moment that matters. Mostly though, I just love the way it looks – incredibly flattering yet vibrant and full of life. Shooting film let’s me create images I love.
I am a yoga and meditation teacher and like to ride my bike until I’m out of breath. I read a lot of books and watch too many films. Two of my favourite things to do are going to the cinema and staring out at the sea. And most of all I love to laugh.
One of the most important things in my life for me are the people around me. Especially my family. They are the people who made me who I am, they are the ones who taught me everything I know and they are the people supporting me in everything that I do, no matter what. I am very lucky to have a family that means home to me.
Looking through photo albums with my grandparents was always a highlight for me. From the faded black and whites of great grandparents I never met to the funky colours of the 60’s and 70’s with relatives in party hats eating indistinguishable foods from cocktail napkins.
Look at my grandparents being young people! Driving this fantastic car. My dad’s mum wearing a dress I’d totally wear myself. These memories bound in albums spanning generations are invaluable. They are a big reason why I do what I do. Preserving memories not just for you but for the ones asking question decades down the line.
(Picture of me at the top courtesy of the lovely Siegrid Cain)