“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams
My interest in photography began early, with a Kodak Instamatic I received at age eight. In the 1970s, this led me to join my school’s photography club, run by my teacher Rolf Bruns. Alongside his work teaching mathematics, physics, and geography, he gave us rare access to a fully equipped darkroom and introduced us to the fundamentals of analog photography.
We began with photograms before moving on to cameras, learning to work directly with light, paper, and chemistry. From there, I learned exposure, composition, and darkroom practice through hands-on work with black-and-white film and medium-format cameras. During this time, I used my father’s Zeiss Ikon Nettar 521/2, which established an early familiarity with 6×9 roll film and slower, more deliberate ways of working.
Over the years, photography remained a constant alongside changing tools — from 35mm film to digital cameras — before I eventually returned to film as a primary medium. Today, my work centers on medium-format black-and-white photography, using vintage cameras and structured constraints to slow the process and focus attention.
Most projects are built around repetition and place: returning to the same locations, walking the same paths, and allowing time to become part of the image. Technical details are documented where relevant, but the emphasis remains on observation rather than equipment.
Elsewhere
Please do not use any of my images on websites, blogs, or other media — in print or online — without explicit written permission.
(c) All rights reserved. Reproduction is forbidden without authorization.
Cameras — Then and Now
