These Street Photographers from Germany will rule

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In street photography, as in every industry, there comes a time when acknowledged giants in the field – we might here mention the likes of Siegfried Hansen, Martin U Waltz, Lintaro and Skander Khlif who are well-known and admired for years, reserved their chapters in the history book of Street Photography, and young street photographers learn from them and evolve in their own way.
Cutting-edge creative arenas rely on the influx of fresh young talent: those who see differently and are hungry to reveal their unique vision to the world – in much the same way that acknowledged experts have already done.

Guido Klumpe

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Guido Klumpe (@streetphotograph.de)


Being born with a visual impairment would be, one would think, a serious drawback to having a career as a photographer. But this did not stop Guido whose photographs are a delight of perfect composition, captured at exactly the right moment to create a quirky, aesthetically pleasing, and often moving image. Born in 1971, Guido Klumpe began by photographing lost places and people in 1999, opening his studio, producing workshops on portraiture and holding exhibitions in quick succession over the next three or four years, mainly in the fields of portraiture and abstract photography. In 2016, Guido discovered the world of street photography and made the leap, growing his skills to scoop the 2019 Gold Medal at the Paris Street Photo Awards, and taking third place in the same year’s Single Shot Category in the German Street Photography Festival.

Find his work here:

 

Daniel Tschitsch

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Daniel Tschitsch (@daniel_tschitsch)


Married with two children, and with a respectable day job as a television cameraman and photographer Daniel Tschitsch gives the impression of day-to-day workmanship on paper. However, it is in his street photography that the real Daniel shows his claws. As well as street photography, in which he became interested in 2014, he produces an ongoing collection called Tschitschigirls – something he acknowledges as his ‘trashy analogue alter ego’ – candid lightly posed images of sensual and sexualised women. The street photography images tend to be a type of portraiture as much as candid shots of the public world, as most of them feature people in one way or another. Some of the images are pleasing, others can be disturbing, catching people in wary, apprehensive or defensive modes – sometimes caused, it seems, by the fact of seeing that they are the target of a roving photographer! Others show a deft sense of humour: a man crossing the road is chosen because his tie perfectly harmonises with the road markings, for example.

Daniel has been featured in several exhibitions, and is the founder, along with Sebastian Herrmann, of the MunichStreetCollective. Find him here:

 

Dirk Marwede

Dirk Marwede is into photography of all types and genres, and also dabbles with video footage too. For him, the images are a natural part of everyday life and meaning is imparted, not by the content of the image, nor even the intention of the photographer, but rather by the response of the viewer to the image. Marwede’s street collections – one is colour, the other black and white – demonstrate keen understanding of composition and also the interaction of light and shadow in and around his subjects, which are often people. People who are, as in the best street photography, oblivious to the presence of the photographer and his camera, allowing him to create images that despite being overt, normal and public therefore manage to capture an essence of intimacy.

Find more of Dirk’s work here:

 

Jolanta Dworczyk

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Jolanta (@majosenf)


A relative newcomer to photography – having worked for many years as a web designer – Jolanta Dworczyk’s photography is full of golden light and rich colour, with a rapport clearly visible between the subjects (who often look directly at the camera, making eye-contact with the viewer) and the camera, creating an intimacy that is both cosy and slightly unsettling – rather like meeting an aunt that one has heard all about but never actually met in person until now. Her street photography is rather like portraiture, just on a grander scale, offering a glimpse into the ambiance and emotion evoked by the streets – usually of Nuremburg, where she lives, but also of New York – as much as the details, lines of perspective and architecture that more mundane street photographers might aim to capture.

See more of Jolanta’s warm and welcoming work here:

 

Martin Steger

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Martin Steger (@martinstegerberlin)


Conjuring up something of a hint of Caravaggio, Martin Steger’s images are full of dramatic contrasts of light and shade that give the photos more impact and transform them from mildly interesting daily scenes into emotional powerhouses that evoke responses in the viewer, whether it is a smile at a candid moment perfectly captured or a sense of foreboding at a seemingly doom-laden situation. Steger specialises in architectural photography, so it is no small surprise that he has made the jump to street photography in which his beautiful but sterile world can be populated with the messy, emotional, quirky and fascinating world of people going about their days. Steger was born in Werdau in Saxony and trained as a graphic designer. He currently lives in Berlin, where he works as a freelance photographer – and has captured images of Berlin’s movers and shakers, including Angela Merkel. From 2014’s fascination with architecture and interiors, he has moved – since 2017 – into street photography and portraiture.

Find him – and admire his work – here:

 

Fabian Schreyer

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Fabian Schreyer (@fabian_schreyer_street)


If Fabian Schreyer’s street photography has to be summed in just a few words, one would have to go with something like ‘quirky and fascinating’. Schreyer brings a unique vision to his photos, capturing – sometimes with a studied and deliberate lack of polish – genuine moments that are often missed in real life, but that are almost too perfect when Schreyer’s quick shutter finger is about. A two-headed swan illusion, a man bending to tie his shoelace and unwittingly blending in with a trapeze mannequin display in the window behind him, an outsize ice cream topped by the metal dome of a transmission tower: the images are all perfectly captured, and often require a length look to enjoy the full benefit of Schreyer’s sharp and all-encompassing vision.

Coming to photography with PR background, the Augsburg resident is a founder member of the Street Photography Collective and has taken in part in a great number of photography exhibitions. Find out more about him here:

 

Filip Machač

Born in 1984, Filip Machač took up photography in 2012, finding in the act of composition and capture a form of communication with his surroundings. Perhaps less technically perfect than might be expected, nevertheless Machač’s street photography images are compelling and artfully timed to both tell a picture and incorporate such disparate elements that the image acquires an almost surreal air. That Machač is a skilled photographer is clear from his other images – posed subject, beautifully composed and lit, and shot in crystal clear depth that makes each image a window into a new world – and it is this skill that allows him, Picasso-like, to subvert the ‘rules’ of photography with his street shots.

Find out more about him and see the images here:

 

Daniel Krummenöhler

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Daniel Krummenöhler (@danielkrummenohler)


After graduating in 2010 with a degree in biology from Ruhr University in Bochum, Daniel Krummenöhler took up photography, quickly establishing himself as having a wonderful eye for capturing striking images in which geometric shapes, silhouetted people and vibrant blocks of colour feature strongly. But it is not merely the strength of the colour palette that displays Daniel’s talents: his black and white photography is superb, precisely capturing moments of wonderful symmetry that take the breath away.

Find out more about this fascinating new artist here:

 

Florian Pötzl

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Florian Pötzl (@_flographie_)


Colour, striking contrasts, lines of symmetry or beautiful asymmetry: the photography of Florian Pötzl, who hails from Kempten in the Allgäu, has it all. It comes as no surprise to learn that Florian has been a keen photographer since his mid-teens, although his dive into street photography arrived, as happens with many photographers, considerably later in his life. Having embraced the street, so to speak, Florian has made huge strides and has won awards for his pieces – sometimes two awards for the same image, such as his evocative and timeless ‘End of the Working Day’!

Find this and more examples of his work here:

 

Andre Weissgerber

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von andré (@weissgerber)


Wide empty cityscapes, wistful portraits of people seemingly oblivious to the camera, brilliant white light and mirror smooth reflections give Andre Weissgerber’s photographs a surreal air that is nevertheless clean and crisp. The images are a delight to behold, both moving and attractive whether they are snapshots of passers-by or architectural images pushed so far that they have become smoothly appealing abstracts. Andre has a day job, but even here his talents with the camera have seen his skills recognised, and he is regularly sent to capture images of the company’s other offices!

Watch out for this up and coming star, and see his work here:

 

David Shokoubeen

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von David Shokouhbeen (@shoko_lade)


Having been a photographer since 2006 – starting with black and white images that he processed himself in a darkroom he built by himself in his parents’ house – David Shokoubeen’s images are well worth taking the time for lengthy perusal. Seeming snapshots – while technically perfect – each tells a quirky story, points out a moment of humour or humanity that does not leap to the eye. These subtle images are heart-warming and enjoyable, and one wonders what delights are still to come from this unique talent! However, he did not set out to become a photographer though. With ambitions to teach Spanish and mathematics, he segued into his father’s business of house renovation! He got into the habit of carrying a camera or two with him at all times, while on the road for work, and this only strengthened his love of photography, leading him back to university to study Photography at Folkwang University of the Arts.

Find him here:

 

Hendrik Wieduwilt

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Hendrik Wieduwilt (@hwieduwilt)


A lawyer turned speaker and campaigner for justice, as well as a photographer, Hendrik Wieduwilt delights in capturing moments of street life that tell a story about what can be seen. If the moment is humorous, so much the better! The play of light on and around his subjects, natural reflections and interplay of the weather with urban conurbation is present in many of his images, and they are both thought-provoking and aesthetically pleasing. Hendrik is an all round photographer though, and his portfolio is packed with images of famous and important portraits thanks to his early work within the media sector.

Find these and his beautiful street photography here:

 

Ralph Striewski

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Ralph Striewski Images (@ralphstriewski)


Oversaturated – with skies so vibrantly blue they are reminiscent of the early days of Kodakchrome – and shot in such harsh midday light that it throws faces into stark relief, showing every blemish, dimple, wrinkle and sag, Ralph Striewski’s street photography should be held up as an example of what not to do. But this would be to make an error, as Ralph’s urgent images are clearly carefully chosen. They capture a full range of human emotion, from curiosity to fear or wariness, and are clearly not posed, being split second snap-shots that are at the same time beautifully composed to display contrasts, ask questions and allow the viewer to tell stories about the jam-packed image. They are clearly the result of Ralph’s excellent reflexes and the all-encompassing gaze that is so important in his ‘day job’ of being a pilot.

Find examples of his work here:

 

Mette Welm

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Mette (@mette_1977)


Mette Welm’s images are of the street – full of people, action, architecture and the play of light on everything – and yet they are somehow tranquil and provide a moment of respite from the business and bustle of life. This is infused into her work by the use of blocks of colour, almost, but not quite, to the point of mimicking a Mondrian painting. When people appear in the images, they are almost always relatively still, leaning against a lamppost, turned to look behind at something they have heard, or waiting for a bus or a train – standing still right now, but about to be on the move once again, and the very temporariness of the pose is what gives the images their unique appeal, the almost breath-taking sense that if you were to pause too late, or move on too soon, you will miss the most important thing.

Find more moments like these here:

 

Gerald Prechtl

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von g e r a l d p r e c h t l (@wwwcerebellumde)


A surgeon by profession and a family man by preference, Gerald Prechtl’s embrace of street photography almost took him by surprise, establishing itself from a more generalised love of self-taught photography. But embrace it he has, and his images make wonderful use of white spaces and voids to enhance his subjects. Playing with exposure to create light and carefree images, Prechtl also makes use of text that appears naturally in the environment he is working to play up to or subvert the subjects he so deftly captures. He is, along with others, a founding member of the Nuremburg Unposed Collective.

Find Gerald’s work here:

 

Ralf Braitling

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Ralf Braitling (@ralfbraitling)


While there are plenty of people in Ralf Braitling’s street photography, they are often as incidental as more static road features, often seen in profile or from the rear, almost always unaware of the photographer and the camera being aimed at them, while around them, the street scenes are serene, unaware, merely existing and unaffected by any of the human dramas that play out upon them daily. Light is often the main subject of his imagery, with soft bokeh appearing often, alongside night-time scenes in which the light paints a spotlight on the object in view.

Find Ralf and his works here:

 

 

Daniel Schilling

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Daniel Schilling (@dnls.blog)


Rich black and white contrast, slightly saturated colours, and crisp clean images that are as artistic as they are realistic capturings of the subjects make the backbone of Daniel Schilling’s street photography. As much as what is included in the image – and they can be complex, layered images – it is also what is left out: there is no clutter, no intrusive elements, nothing at all to throw the viewer out of the fantasy that is being presented to them. As well as street photography, there is also an excellent portfolio of animal photographs that are well worth perusing.

Find all Daniel’s work here:

 

Heike Frielingsdorf

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Heike Frielingsdorf (@heikefrielingsdorf)


Superbly detailed images, clear and with a good depth of field throughout, Heike Frielingsdorf takes clear simple photographs that are very good indeed: beautifully composed with a clear message and nothing extraneous, perfectly arranged on the screen into a portrait or landscape orientation, possibly a hang-over from her secondary career in the film industry. No matter if it is animals in the zoo – or the crafty candid snaps that might make zoo visitors wonder just who it is who is trapped in place to be observed – people on the street, or even pure and minimal empty landscapes, each photograph is a wonder to behold with splashes of colour, pleasing arrangements of patterns and sharply told visual stories to be absorbed.

Find out more and see the prize-winning and often-exhibited photos here:

 

Johannes Maechtel

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Johannes Maechtel (@johannesmaechtel)


Vibrant natural colours, sharply delineated people, including silhouettes, and an almost pop-art air define Johannes Maechtel’s photos, making them a delight to peruse, both for the aesthetic pleasure of enjoying the pictures, but also for the small details that give the images such polish and poise.

Find out more about Johannes and see his work here:

 

Dominik Morbitzer

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Dominik Morbitzer (@dominikmorbitzer)


A curious mixture of informal portraiture and street photography, Dominik Morbitzer’s work shows the genuine interest and warmth he feels towards people. This, along with a wonderful eye for composition and a superb understanding of colour and contrast makes each image a work of art in its own right. Dominik works full time as a photographer, and it is clear the camera is merely an extension of his self, a visible manifestation of his imagination at play albeit set within the real world.

Find out more about Dominik and his love of stews and science here:

 

Samuel Ioannidis

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Samuel Ioannidis (@samuel.ioannidis)


With an eye for urban patterns, blocks and streaks of colour, as well as intense dark voids, the colour photographs of Samuel Ioannidis are dramatic and eye-catching: like stained glass windows in which clear jewel-like colours are off-set against uniform matt black. He also works in black and white, and all his images have the freeze-frame impact of all high-powered photographs, that unique sense of catching the perfect moment and stopping time; preserving the memory of that ultimate tick. Still a newcomer to the field of street photography, Samuel is, nevertheless, already a star on the rise: watch out for him to do wonderful things in the future!

See his work and find out more about him here:

 

Felix Albrecht

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Felix Albrecht (@felix.on.the.streets)


The details in a photo can sometimes be so important, and Felix Albrecht’s work understands this, whether in a carefully posed wedding photograph, or a seemingly hastily snapped street shot: the tension in an otherwise relaxed man’s hands, a hint of wistfulness as an old, apparently grumpy, man watches children larking about, the barely concealed wish of a minority to be hidden, and the intense camaraderie of an age-old friendship: all of these seemingly small and inconsequential details add up to a rich tapestry that does more than capture the surface of the city. Instead, it mines into it, finding comedy, tragedy, sorrow, joy – the whole rich tapestry of humanity, set in mundane streets that glow under Albrecht’s lens.

See the pictures here:

 

Martin Liebl

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Martin Liebl (@martinlieblphoto)


Shadows feature heavily in Martin Liebl’s street photography, throwing the subject into relief, casting an abstract effect over the image, and sometimes being, in fact, the only way to see the subject at all. The effect is otherworldly and yet instantly comprehensible, as are his other series, such as stairs and escalators which create wonderful patterns and blocks of colour, against which humans pass, the two seeming not to connect in any other but that one brief moment of time. Martin makes excellent use of the golden and blue light that can be seen before and during dawn and during and after dusk, creating images that are timeless and evocative, stirring the emotions of those who see them.

Find out more about Martin and see his work here:

 

Philipp Merz (aka Ludwig van Borkum)

 

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Ein von @ludwigvanborkum geteilter Beitrag


It is said that using a film camera concentrates the photographer’s mind, forcing them to wait for the perfect moment, instead of firing off a burst and hoping for the best. This is certainly true of the photos of Munich Street Collective member, Philipp Merz, who issues his street photography under the name of Ludwig van Borkum, and who prefers the warmth and intimacy of film over digital cameras. His work captures moments that provoke thought or emotion: a couple kissing passionately, unaware of the gaze of the world – of anything but each other; a man in a dull grey subway, looking at dull grey walls as he waits for a train, the living embodiment of limbo, perhaps; the tilted down head and almost obsequious body language of a Muslim lady, wanting nothing more than to finish her errands and return home unmolested, compared with the jaunty thrust of a moustache, sure that his path is unobstructed.

Find out more about these moving images and their quirky photographer here:

 

Wolfgang Mertens

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von People Fotografie (@wolfgangmertens)


Reflections and symmetry, sensual curves and graceful lines, geometry, perspective and leading lines are all visually satisfying, and when combined in the perfection of one image, there is something visceral about it that drags the eyes to it and commands the feet to stop walking, a reaction that has everything to do with instinct and nothing to do with thought. These are the photographs of Wolfgang Mertens and this is why they have featured in several exhibitions and been chosen by publications as examples of excellence in photography.

Find out more about these wonderful images and Wolfgang’s other work here:

 

Oh, and please do not forget to check the work of Chris Candid, Roland Grebe, Max Edvardson…there are so many great street photographers to inspire you in your personal development!

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