Business Card as Film Negative

London, UK, 2007
One had to hold this business card against the light to read the contact information as if it was a film negative. Once handed out, folks instantly started to zoom in and out composing a picture through the unexposed middle section of the translucent foil.
I always got a great response to this creative card. It’s a shame i still have so many of it. Soon after i had them made, i decided to leave London and embark on a journey that took me 8 years of travelling, not exactly needing a business card in anarcho-primitivist, permaculturist, activist, and let´s admit it, hippie circles.
Glass Ceiling
New Series / Work in progress: I´m currently looking for participants, feel free to get in touch.

A glass ceiling is a metaphor used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents a given demographic (typically applied to women) from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy. – Wikipedia
An unacknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, especially affecting women and members of minorities. – Oxford Languages

The term „glass ceiling“ refers to the sometimes-invisible barrier to success that many women come up against in their careers. – BBC

Full Frame No Cut – Haha
Radio City Music Hall, New York, 2000

This A4 enlargement was to see how to dodge and burn a final print of a 35mm film negative.
It has my lab instructions on it: where to make it darker, to watch out for the middle to have an even gradient, but also to have it cut! I´m surprised because I remember myself taking pride in not cropping at all, respecting the moment to compose the shot.
It seems I cheated indeed!
The actual final print is in a private collection.
(Now thinking back, I´m pretty sure it got a new fake black edge.. One had to expose the paper using an enlarger, then remove the negative, mask the undeveloped image so that the desired new edges remained uncovered, and then give some extra white light to have the emulsion turn black, hence creating a new frame.. as if it was the unexposed shine through outer side of the full frame negative..)
Imagekampagne für eine Kaffeerösterei
[Ad] Recent work for a coffee roasting manufacture in Munich.
These are typical images i enjoy doing but i would not showcase them in my portfolio. I particularly like to use a 3-light setup shown on the first image here, though. Two soft lights from the side and from behind, and a beam of rays hitting just a strip: kind of a morning sun atmosphere that goes well with a cup of coffee.
Der kleine Prinz der Gentrifizierung
Apr 2016, Budapest, Hungary
To the Memory of Attila Ónodi (2003-2020)
Attila was a gifted young singer, he lived in the 8. district of Budapest, a rapidly changing, once ghetto-like part of the city. He made it to talent shows of a major network and had regular appearances at events across town.
We knew each other from a nearby cult pub and community center called Golya, seen in the background in some of these images. I used to take pro bono photos for him as he came from a financially stricken family and was badly in need of portraits ahead of a major TV show.
Attila welcomed the changes in his neighborhood thinking that his left-behind community would be able to stay there. He admired the new glass buildings, he envisioned cafes where he would have his pictures exhibited as a well-known singer.
He climbed up to this little island with a single tree, that once stood in the backyard of buildings 100 meters to his home. He posed there and suddenly started throwing stones towards his very own block of flats.
He hoped to ride the wave of fame of the TV publicity, though dropping out of the show at an early stage. The rumors were that his social media following was not presentable enough.
The next time he entered national attention was his tragic car accident: he drove without a license double the speed limit through red lights onto a lamp post.
My First Tutor and My First Print
Federico Savini, Pratt Institute, New York, 2000

This is probably the first portrait photograph i made in all its phases of analog production. Federico Savini, our tutor at Pratt Institute in New York kicked off the Portrait Class by setting a continuous light and called us to take some pictures of him. I loved his classes: this hands-on approach. Once we developed the rolls and enlarged our own prints, I was pumped that he singled me out for this shot. He liked the stance of stepping back just a bit to include a wider story.
Self Portrait at a Yoga Aktuell Shoot

This is a quick snapshot kind of self-portrait at a Yoga Aktuell photoshoot back in September 2019.
Chiemsee, Germany
Cover for a Series

Under pinkish clouds, a large BMW approaches on some rail tracks vanishing under a patch of asphalt. A bike freak in trousers matching the clouds jumps off his bike and takes his hat off to the viewer.
This was an Intro picture to a previous version to my website containing 2 cyclists´ portrait series.
I particularly like this photo so I decided it was worth bringing it over here and letting it feature as a blog post.
August 2015, Budapest, Hungary
RadlKult Making-of
Juni 2017, München, Germany


photo credit: Kai Neunert
Critical Mass: 20 Thousand

It was 20,000 cyclists demonstrating in Budapest, occupying the streets on the car-free day. Double the number compared to the previous spring event.
The gathering started late, so I had to work a bit more in advance. I, therefore, asked the main organiser, Kükü (pictured) to pose for me just before they went on to peacefully regain Budapest. He shouted: Critical Mass!
Upon arrival at the publisher´s office, I loved the layout the editors chose.
In general, Magyar Hírlap was home to many creative minds, and I could always be sure that they would come up with the best choice of the material I could offer. This time was no different.
I was enthusiastic and stayed until the first copies arrived, took a few and brought the paper of tomorrow to the Critical Mass afterparty.
It was 2005, still before smartphones´ instant-news times. Many shouted joyfully to find out that we indeed cracked the 20,000 that year!
Critical Mass Budapest has been said to be the biggest in the world, with the spring 2008 figure reported at 80,000.
Self Portrait

Sept. 2005, Budapest, Hungary
Yes, that was real grass covering the top floor of Tüzraktar, a 10´000 square meter atelier complex where I had my own studio.
Accreditation? No, just do it.

16. August 2005, Downtown Budapest
11:45 AM – End of the 1st meeting to start the paper.
Incoming call right after from my editor:
– Some plane came down in Athens, we will write about that, but it may well become the day´s topic as the aviation industry in general. So we need 2nd and 3rd, but if good the front page as well.
– Do you have accreditation to the airport?
– No we don´t, they won´t give it that fast. Just do something. The pages close at 6 PM.


This is how these 2 images featured as pairs on the earlier version of my home page. I enjoy the power of photographs enhancing a particular reading of one another. Its a direct way a photographer can invite the viewer towards a set of ideas.
2005, Budapest Airport, Hungary
2005, Paulahof, Austria
My Set in Vienna

This is a snapshot of a shoot in Vienna.
For the photos made during this session, see the Portfolio section of this site.
Just to mention my Seaport Digital laptop case on this picture:
it has become a superb companion for such occasions. Sturdy aluminium tray with a socket for a tripod makes it an invaluable tool to have a work station safe and comfortable.
October 2019, Vienna, Austria
This Job Changed my Career
It was an assignment the very day I got fired. I was told by the newly appointed picture editor that he had nothing against me but wanted to bring his team.
I was a freelancer at the time, but Magyar Hirlap, a political daily in Budapest gave me daily assignments, so it was indeed my workplace.
I was just digesting the shock at the publisher´s office as a job came to the photo desk. No-one could take it for some reason, so I was asked by the very editor to do it for that last time.
It was about the once large scale industrial site on the island of Csepel in Budapest. Long vanished socialist industry, once flagship carmaking halls, uncertain future.
I could very much sympathise with that handful of workers I met there. I chose to alter the white balance of my camera to make these warm tones, creating a sepia look, supporting feelings of nostalgy and melancholy.
And that was a hit. At the time in 2004 no-one, I knew worked with raw images. We shot jpg. Meaning that one could not tweak the colour balance that easy afterwards in post-production. I made that on the spot as if I still used film. Dialling up meant, that I could also achieve a very cold look, blue lights pouring through those large windows. It was a great contrast to the sepia past, portraying the harsh realities awaiting.
Delivering this little essay earned me the front page and a seat at the photo desk!
Though later I was told that the previous editor, Tamás Szigeti came to my rescue and spoke of me highly behind the scenes. I´m still grateful for his inspiration and guidance.
(the resolution and small size of these images reflect on the internet of the mid-2000s, as they were featured on my website at the time)
2004, Csepel, Budapest, Hungary
Non-motorist Perspectives
This photo project was commissioned by the late writer, editor and photo historian Mihály Gera. One day he just called up and invited me to his private library. It was a great honour to work with him.
He came up with the idea to try and capture Budapest with the theme of traffic in the city.
I was at the time already a passionate cyclist and my critique about urban planning became more and more obvious as I was taking pictures for this upcoming book. And exactly that seemed to create a problem. What I did not know from the start that this book was meant to be published for the City Hall of Budapest so that they could use it in their protocol as a present to mayoral visits.
But there were suddenly bigger obstacles, too. I left Budapest to pursue further studies in London and my flat got nicked back in 2007: there it went all my equipment and my archive as well!
I was though fortunate enough to have had a colourful pillowcase, and a good friend who´d recognise it on the sidewalk close to Brick Lane. Apparently, burglars like to stuff their plunder in the bedding, in order to grab as much as they can. Once out of the property, they can sort out the items they really need.
This is how I recovered at least these preview pictures!
2006, Budapest, Hungary
Jobs as Digital Operator
2016-2019, München, Germany



A major upgrade to one´s photography education is assisting leading photographers.
I´m glad to have had that experience, mostly in the field of fashion, product and portraiture.
These 3 images show typical settings where my job was to oversee the flow of pictures flying in.
Teamlove

Foto: Daniella Hehmann
This is how one looks if they are cold on the set and the only one having some extra clothes is the stylist from Berlin!
Starnberger See,
Bayern, Germany
August 2018
Licht für Naturkosmetik

Werbekampagne Violet Touch für die Naturkosmetik Firma Annemarie Börlind.
Fotografin: Verena Vötter
MUA: Arno Humer
Licht inkl. all Technik von mir.
Calw, Schwarzwald, Germany
Mai 2018