Farewell 2017, Hello 2018!

I delivered the last pictures on New Year's Eve, but not everything I photographed in 2017. A particularly beautiful project that I put a lot of passion into will probably not be published until March. Patience is sometimes required, even if I'm actually dying to show you the result. Nevertheless, changing the year is a good time to pause for a moment and say thank you: all the wonderful encounters with and without a camera, which were only made possible for me by the same kind and the companions who encourage or correct me - and challenge me. Thanks!

The absolute highlight of the first half of the year was taking photos series "Typically German", which once again brought me a publication at kwerfeldein and found a wonderful response at Millerntor Gallery #7. Every single conversation with the great people in front of my camera was moving and influenced and strengthened me. Thanks to everyone who took part!

The most drastic event in Hamburg was the G20, which left deep scars and really pushed me to the brink of believing in the rule of law in the Federal Republic. To experience the police, who are supposed to protect citizens, as political actors who don't give a damn about facts and simply beat down people who are not involved without being prosecuted is not worthy of this state. And politicians stand by and nod. I don't want to negate the violence that was caused by some demonstrators, but I was there and saw how the police's actions made the situation worse rather than getting it under control. And I also realize that for anyone who wasn't there live, my words sound unimaginable. Therefore I would like to recommend it again my report from shortly after the G20 summit, which was also by far the most read article on this blog this year.

Fortunately, there are bright things in life again. Hey, it's FC St. Pauli German champion in blind football! This is so sensational and so great and unimaginably beautiful – my emotional highlight of the year. Together with the fact that there are now pictures of me hanging in the club's office. And I was officially allowed to photograph all of the U.S. football teams - alongside the teams from Rollerderby Germany, the blind footballers and the 1st women's team.

It's also wonderful that there will soon be two hotel rooms in the Scandic Emporio Hamburg - actually since now, but the official opening isn't until February - that have my pictures hanging above the bed. You should have one Looking for accommodation in Hamburg, I can recommend the Scandic not only because of its sustainability despite the size of the hotel. "My" rooms are 802 and 803 🙂

I experienced great appreciation shortly before Christmas: when a customer canceled a portrait shoot at very short notice, I briefly considered whether I should be annoyed. But I didn't, but wrote on Facebook that I was converting my setup into an open studio: 4 people came over spontaneously, some took advantage of their lunch break and it was a great day - three now have new profile photos and one is too good to have the pictures to use them on Facebook. 😀

Mine arrived on Boxing Day Source of inspiration over from Switzerland. In addition to some interesting nonsense, he then dared to stand in front of my camera. He said he was bad in front of the camera, but his doubts only led to new profile pictures 😉

Headwind

Miss Zoffi for Team Germany

The captain is replaced one last time...

First visitors in front of my project wall

This picture from the mountains in Nepal adorns Viva con Agua's 2016 annual report

Photo walk at the landing stages

dissatisfied

Dancing until your glasses break

Shake hands before the final

FC St. Pauli 1. Women's team photo 2017/18

Tobias Kroner celebrates in front of his curve

Ms. Marx, the boss of Scandic Hamburg

Goldeimer and Scandic – together for a good cause

Behind the scene at prime time on NDR television

Photo session with the newly crowned German champion

Nobert – wonderful person from VcA Kampala

Sportfreunde Stiller win the VCA Cup

Arne Friedrich

Disagreeing

Detour into fashion photography

Feeding pigeons in Barcelona

Markus Kauczinski answers questions from the press

Sven Meyer

Christmas

All that remains is to thank the over 100000 visitors to my blog in 2017. A slight increase on the previous year, with the realization that the decision to remove my images from Google Image Search had hardly any negative impact on the visitors that this search engine brought to my blog. It became clear that my decision not to continue my (so-called) Facebook fan page was absolutely the right one. Plus 28% on the previous year with 3,4k "fans" instead of around 1000 "friends" on my private page - that shows how Facebook limits the visibility of fan pages! In general, I am increasingly critical of social media, because you are very dependent on what the algorithm does with the content. All the better that the increase in direct access to my page was almost a fifth higher than in the previous year. That is actually the most important thing, because these visitors find my blog even when social media suddenly cuts off all contacts. That is why I am also happy about everyone who visits my Newsletter enters 🙂

Last, but not least, thank you very much for the sweetest wife I can imagine and without whom many things would not be possible for me! And the greatest thing of all: she blogs now too and shows interesting pictures of animals in an urban environment. Click command!

Well, 2018 can come! Wish you all a great start and good health!