SAF

Catch the moment As a photographer I focus on emotions – either in landscapes (day or night) or in portraits of musicians on stage -- live. I see emotions on stage or in a landscape, and my photos transfer them to viewers and makes them participants. They look and perceive, emotions are triggered and the circle is complete. That’s why I call my photos “perceptional pictures”. I catch the moment when the landscape opens itself to me, (and in the end to the viewer), making me and them a participant. The moment that stimulates my imagination stimulates the viewer’s imagination too. The photos at night are also landscapes – captured by a “moving camera”. All musicians’ portraits are done during live performances. They catch the moments when the individual reveals his or herself on stage (not the performer delivering a show), a person with his own thoughts and emotions. The portraits transmit moods, loneliness, even vulnerability. In both settings the viewer is invited to leave reality and move into the setting – and into his or her own inner associations. Taking photos of landscapes is not about “what might be of interest to the audience”. It’s more about “Which scenery catches my emotions?” – that’s the moment I want to capture. At gigs I follow the person with my camera (I see approximately 90% of the concert through lenses). Usually, I take photos during the second part of the show – when the artist has connected and is familiar with the audience, when the initial “work” is done and the fun starts. This is when the artist shows genuine emotions. They are mostly visible in the eyes or the face, which is why I primarily take portrait or half-torso shots. I even use non-standard equipment to capture that special situation and to create special effects or accentuate aspects. But most of all I try to catch the right moment. The moment that touches me and ultimately will touch the viewer. Please be aware that the photos might be available in different sizes. Please contact me.

2013, Pictures of a different world, online on Swiss "Tertianum" platform 2019, "Emotions - Perceptions - Reality", at Photobastei, Zurich, Switzerland 2019, Landscapes, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany

long-standing autodidact