SHINE IN YOUR BRIGHTEST LIGHT

I have been working in the media industry for more than 20 years and creating images has always been a big part of it. But I have to admit that photography was an on and off love affair. I have realized that for me creating still images much more than video or film is a lot about having the right tool at hand. While I am much more flexible with the cameras that I use for video shootings, I need to feel excited about the camera that I use for photography. It’s much more about having fun with what I do. The first time I realized this was with my first real DSLR a LEICA Digilux 3. Before that, I had used only small pocked cameras and the experience of having a big camera with lots of classic manual controls helped me to get a new understanding of how light and photography work. When I look at the pictures that I took with that camera I am still amazed by the quality. You will find a few of those shots here now and then. Unfortunately, the camera got stolen on a holiday in Ibiza. 

With the rise of DSLR’s that can shoot video, I decided to get a Canon D7 with the money that I got from the insurance company. And while I was fascinated by the ability to shoot video and the new aesthetics that it allowed me I never enjoyed it as a photo camera. I kept upgrading my video equipment and stayed with DSLR’s ever since but all these cameras didn’t spark my interest in photography. 

There was one exception in-between. Before I went on my first trip to India I wanted to have a camera that allowed me to take pictures more consciously. I said: “I don’t want a machine gun. I don’t want to run around and shoot thousands of pictures.”

You better be careful what you ask for. I had a look into different analog cameras. And since I enjoyed my Leica so much I was considering getting a used analog Leica and shoot on film instead of going digital. On a visit to my camera shop in Cologne Foto Gregor, I met an old friend who is a professor of Photography. We started talking, I told him my thoughts, and he showed me what would become my next camera. A Voigtländer Bessa III. I fell in love with this camera. The pictures that I shoot with this camera are still some of my favorite that I ever took and I am sure they will still stand out if you spot them here or on my Instagram. Nevertheless, I have to admit that after a few years of owning this camera I had to be honest to myself that I wasn’t using it as much as I would have wished. The process of developing pictures was taking to much time and I wasn’t seeing photography so much as my profession or even a continuous hobby. I sold the camera to someone who honors its qualities more. 

In 2018 I felt like I wanted to upgrade my video equipment again. I was happy with my Panasonic GH5. It was an amazing camera to shoot video. Much more than a great camera for pictures. You will find a few photos here that I shot with it and I am happy with the results but holding it in my hands as a photo camera was never as much fun and intuitive as shooting video with it. So I started looking for something new.

When the Fuji XT-3 got intruduced and I read the first reviews I was immeidieatly drwan to it. It looked like the camera that would tick all the boxes for my professional video needs but beyond that it had a lot of what I was looking for in a photo camera. So in 2019 I sold all my lenses and both of the Panasonic cameras that I owned at the time and switched over to Fuji.

I haven’t regret that change for a day. Actually since I own the Fuji XT-3 I have shot more photograohy than video and I really enjoy having the camera in my hands and take photos with it. So probably you will see more pictures showing up here in the future.