About my photography journey
and making memories.
Martin - 06.07.1999 - Perch,
That is what my grandpa has written on the polaroid he took of me, when we went fishing. I doubt that the 7-year-old me cared about which fish I caught, but telling from the polaroid it must have meant something to my grandfather.
He was an amazing grandpa. He was very caring and often had that cheeky smile when he said “good by mate, see you next time”. He would tell us stories about his twin-brother Klaus and him, testing their muscles by letting a knife fall onto their arms - “if the knife doesn’t cut you - you have muscles”. I believed the story to be true, even though I’ve never seen a polaroid that said:
“Dieter and Klaus - 06.07.1948 - muscle test”.
My first memories of being photographed stem from him and I believe that this is what photography for me is about: making memories.
My grandma on the other hand - Well, I wouldn’t say she dislikes being photographed. But, still to this day, there’s a thin line between “yeah that’s fine - take your picture” and “stop it, you have so many photos already, Martin”. Finding that sweet spot when to take a picture is a challenge. She is a tough cookie but a very loving person.
I’m particularly proud of having visited the places that meant something to them. On a sunny October day in 2019 for example, we went out on a trip down memory lane. Luckily, I had a camera with me – an old 50 € second-hand Minolta film camera.
I thought that should make it. And it did.
Showing us where they grew up – about 1 1/2 hours outside of Berlin – we visited their school, the church where they would get married and an old boat house. This is where they would fall in love. And here we are: about 65 years later, in front of that very old boat house. I’m particularly lucky to have taken this photo, to which I still go back every now and then.
Its neither good quality of film nor a very scenic spot. Yet, the photo represents their characters so well. I love my grandma’s gaze into the camera and my grandpa’s cheeky smile - and that’s how I want to remember them together.
My photography journey began on a film camera, which has it’s pro’s and con’s. Pro: you make lots of mistakes. Con: You make lots of mistakes. You learn how to focus manually and what the triangle of light actually means. If a shot was out of focus or overexposed, you’ll see that a month later. I started taking mental and physical notes of my camera setup while taking shots. This way I’ve made less mistakes over time and the photos got decent.
Nevertheless, film became more expensive as well. So, I decided to switch to a digital alternative, that could give me the film look, I always admired. Which brought me to Fujifilm. My first one was a Fujifilm X100F and I couldn’t have been more happy with my choice. It was a small and compact camera with a focal length of 23mm, which is a 35mm full frame equivalent. To me, this made it the perfect camera to take it everywhere and always. And this is exactly what I was doing. Even after watching hundreds of YouTube videos on photography, I still think the advise “take your camera everywhere” is one of the most important that I got so far.
In 2023, I was very proud to have been awarded a fully funded scholarship to study a Sociology PhD at the University of Oxford. I can wholeheartedly say: it was the best decision in my life to take this chance. Having lived in and around Berlin almost my whole life, there were lot’s of new, exciting opportunities ahead. Formal dinners in colleges, watching rugby in pubs and off course Oxford as a city. I think the film vibe goes particularly well in this town, with its warm sandstone colours and moody pubs.
Im so glad that I already had my camera back then. In college, I was known to always bring it with me. After a night out or an event in college - I would send around an iCloud link with the best images. This was the time when a part of me was thinking of – at some point – going more professionally with photography.
What I like about photography is that progress is visible. This is especially true for when I look back to some of my first photographs. The year 2025 was the first year, that I had some semi-professional photoshoots booked. I shot some graduation sessions here and some couple sessions there. I’m very grateful for all these experiences and especially for what they taught me. Meanwhile I acquired a Fujifilm X-T2. The main difference to the aforementioned Fujifilm X100F is the possibility to change lenses, which makes it more versatile for professional sessions.
It’s a nice feeling if the photos turn out great, if you get good feedback and if you ultimately can expand your portfolio with some beautiful shots. It’s an even better feeling being able to bind a story around a photo session. Therefore – and yes the prime-lens-aficionado will shake their head right now – I recently bought my first zoom lens, a Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8! This will make establishing shots possible and… finally I can even get the whole RadCam, which is probably Oxford’s most photographed landmark, on the photo. I am looking forward to that and to everything that’s ahead in my photography journey.
On a more personal note: This year, I am planning to graduate from the University of Oxford - if everything goes well (fingers crossed!). I imagine my graduation to be a warm and sunny day - no rain whatsoever - that I will spend with my friends and family.
I am sure my grandfather would have loved to be there, making a joke or two and explaining the origins of the surrounding trees. I can clearly see him taking another polaroid and writing: “Martin - 06.09.2026 - Graduation Day”.
