Sansibar
One of the most beautiful places in the world for sure: the Tansanian island of Zanzibar, situated in the Indian Ocean.
My extensive trip through Africa in the 1980s took me from Egypt all the way down to Zimbabwe, passing through Tanzania along the way. However, I didn’t visit Zanzibar on that occasion, something I often regretted later.
Just in time for the millennium, I finally made up for it.
Although it was just meant to be a holiday trip, the camera naturally had to come along.
This led to scenes such as that of children drumming on flotsam, their enjoyment only heightened by the photographer crawling backwards through the sand in front of them.
In contrast, an almost surreal scene unfolded in an alleyway in Stone Town, where people were playing on a luxurious, high-gloss billiard table amidst houses slowly crumbling in the tropical climate.
On enquiry, I learnt that it had been manufactured in a neighbouring workshop and that the craftsmen had indulged themselves to a game before delivering it to a hotel.
Die Aufnahme der drei Algen erntenden Frauen schließlich ist bis heute einer meiner absoluten Favoriten. Obwohl es einfache Seetang-Bäuerinnen sind, „Wakulima wa Mwani“ auf Swahili, strahlen sie eine unglaubliche Würde aus.
Snapshots
- Farafra Oasis Egypt 1987
The boys persistently jumped into the frame to stop me from taking pictures. At first we've been annoyed, but over time we increasingly began to enjoy the game. - Bukom Ghana
Another very popular boxing gym in the slums of Bukom is the Charles Quartey Boxing Foundation. I also visited a training session there one afternoon, which is when the cover photo for the website was taken. - Isarweg Munich
Cheered on by her artfully sprayed fans, a jogger runs along the Isar. The underpasses here are almost entirely adorned with graffiti – unfortunately, as in this case, usually rather short-lived. - Munich Oktoberfest 1992
My first photo expedition to the Oktoberfest, still with the obligatory Neopan 400 film in the camera and my idol at the time, Henri Cartier-Bresson, in mind. - Amalfi Coast Ravello
Until 20 years ago, at the most breathtaking viewpoint on the Amalfi Coast, hardly anyone would have thought of turning their back on all that beauty. Times are changing… - Bahnwärter Thiel Munich
Probably the last alternative spot in otherwise so well-behaved Munich. It looks staged, but is in fact a snapshot taken in passing. - Museum Of Fine Arts Boston
One of those once in a lifetime stories: for four decades I had wanted to see Paul Gauguin's work "Where Do We Come From, What Are We, Where Are We Going" in the original. And when you finally sit in front of it long enough, the memory photo almost creates itself. - Candidplatz Munich
Sinnbild des Wartens in dem in allen Regenbogenfarben leuchtenden U-Bahnhof. - Islamic Quarter Cairo
On my many visits to the metropolis on the Nile, I was repeatedly drawn to this incredibly picturesque quarter between the Al-Azhar Mosque and the Citadel. - Glyptothek Munich
The pointing finger into nothingness… - Marrakesh
Morocco, with its countless photographic subjects, is an Eldorado for photographers – though a very challenging one. I know of no other country where the sight of a camera so often provokes aggression and rejection, or almost inevitably awakens a sense of business. - Pasinger Fabrik Munich
Japanese Butoh dancer Aya Irizuki during a promotional performance for the film "Cherry Blossoms". - St. Pauli Hamburg
During a café visit in Hamburg’s Karoviertel, the scenery on the opposite side of the street completely captivated me. I simply had to take this photo! - Eisbach Wave Munich
A touch of California in Bavaria. The surfers of the Eisbach wave in the English Garden attract crowds of visitors every day. I too never manage to walk past without stopping. Oktoberfest Munich 2017
Nearly 20 years after my first Oktoberfest series, I once again went into the beer tents with my camera – and was rewarded with this moment of pure joy.
