First, you should be aware that a good photo is taken by the photographer themselves. The focus is therefore on composition and creativity. At least when you are starting out, it is advisable to follow the rules of composition. The camera and lens are tools for creating the photo. Technically speaking, a photo is only as good as the tools allow it to be.

If creativity and high quality are important to you, you should say goodbye to fully automatic mode. However, individual automatic functions can be useful. It is better to make some camera settings consciously, so it is also important to use them selectively.

There are only a few basic parameters that affect a photo. These are aperture, exposure time and ISO value. The aperture determines the depth of field in the image. The wider the aperture is open, the less sharp the image will be, and vice versa. However, the aperture should only be closed as far as is absolutely necessary. The exposure time should be short enough to prevent the photo from being blurred. The shorter it is, the more likely it is that movement will be frozen. The ISO value determines how sensitive a sensor is to light. The higher it is, the more sensitive it becomes. (More precisely, the light signal is amplified.) However, this has a disadvantage, because as the ISO value increases, so does the noise.

You should be able to focus correctly on the camera. You don’t necessarily have to focus manually, but you should be able to select the appropriate focus fields yourself. Furthermore, the significance of the focal length and its effect on the photo should be actively selected. For example, a longer focal length results in a compression effect, which has its own image effect. Even when using a zoom lens, it can’t hurt to take a few steps forward or backward.

Every photographer has maxims that guide him or her. Sometimes they exist consciously, sometimes unconsciously. So here is an attempt to formulate this maxim for my own photos:

• I have to like the photos myself. Even if interests change over the course of time, this means that primarily subjects of personal interest are photographed. Subjects of secondary interest serve to increase knowledge and experiment with other techniques or subjects. Commissioned work with special design requirements is not carried out.
• Free knowledge should be supported. The photos should support knowledge and education in every possible way. I see free knowledge as a valuable asset. There is no commercial interest and it would also stand in the way of creativity.
• The joy of photography should be visible. Photography should be fun. Beautiful pictures should enable fantasy worlds. My photos should convey all of this.
• Photos are only offered to third parties if they have been finally processed. The entire development process is carried out by me, from the choice of motif to post-processing. Changes of any kind by third parties are therefore not acceptable. Use is of course permitted subject to the license conditions.
• The technically possible should be utilized. The equipment sets limits, but the photos should be taken within these limits. This also means that photos are usually taken in raw data format.
• The photos are part of a creative process. From the idea to the choice of motif to post-processing, the creative process is utilized and the individual view is used to shape it.
• The photos should serve as a model for others and arouse interest in photography. Photography has many facets, from documentation to artistic use. The special features of this medium are intended to arouse interest in photography and also photographic art.
• The photos should have a positive effect. My hope is that the photos will help make the world a little bit better and have a positive impact on how we interact with each other. That is why I am particularly pleased when the photos are used for educational purposes or volunteer work.