Photographic philosophy
On beauty — and why it counts.
Beauty is not a matter of taste. Not a season. Not a market. It is bound up with the founding laws of creation — an unerring guide for anyone still able to listen to their own sense of things.
“Light and beauty cannot be separated at all. They are one.” (from the German)
My photography follows that measure: moments that ring true. People in their own character. Light that carries. Movement that lives. None of it can be planned — which is why it comes about where something is actually happening: at festivals, at reenactment and living history events, in abandoned places. And it is recognisable — to anyone who has not buried their sense of beauty under trends and imitation.
“Imitation is no elevation, it is no work of one’s own.” (from the German)
Stance
A word on my own account.
I decide for myself what I report on. That sounds like a luxury — but it is first of all a consequence. Anyone standing up for something that does not meet their own measure does not do good work. This is not a stance against anyone. It is a stance in favour of the picture. And a picture only becomes as good as the closeness to what is happening allows. Simple to say, but essential.
On light — what photographers say
Take a look at what you’re looking at.
Jay Maisel
Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.
George Eastman
Editorial
Working together
nkdm.de is an independent picture medium for events, reenactment, living history and culture in northern Germany. Organisers and editorial desks can request usage rights to photographs — or accreditation for the next event.