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No man is an island and it’s good to have some „experts“ involved in the production of a book. I think every photographer knows that it can become very difficult judging your own work if you work on a project over and over again.

I’m happy that Falk Schreiber, a journalist from Hamburg who wrote a decent article about the project a year ago will write the introduction. I think he really understood what ALEX is all about and finds better words for it than me. Writing the introduction to my own photobook myself turned out to be an odd idea.

Concerning layout, selection of the photographs and sequencing them my friend and former photography teacher Andreas Rost brought in some really important impulses. The original format and layout is history now and I’m very grateful that he pushed the book to some stronger level. Hope we can finish the editing during the next week.

This image shows an early dummy version of the book – title rejected, format rejected – this is NOT how the book will look like.

Next steps will be defining the right paper, getting the files in the right data format and so on. And I’m happy to have another expert for that. Will tell you later…

The first pictures of my ALEX series were taken in the summer of 2008. I had just bought a new camera at Alexanderplatz and took my first few test shots there. Alexanderplatz isn’t far from where I live, so I went there from time to time in my lunch break – always with my new small camera with a 24mm wideangle lens. A few weeks later while looking at the pictures I had taken there, I realised that this might be an exciting project to keep working on. In the years before I had been travelling a lot – mainly to big cities of the western word until I finally had the first compilation of my Urban B’Sides together which were shown in some exhibitions in 2008. So this would be a nice contrast – instead of taking pictures around the globe I would just walk to the same place over and over again to see what was happening there. Alexanderplatz – Berliners simply call the place „Alex“ – is a very lively and busy square with lots of different kinds of people – it’s a microcosmos in its own right in the central district „Mitte“ of Berlin. And a perfect stage for my photographs.

After half a year I was offered the possibility to show a first interim conclusion of my ALEX series at Monochrom, Berlin. The reactions were surprising – the range of feedback I got, went from „Absolutely Bullshit“ to „Brilliant – your best work ever“. So this was a real motivation for me to keep going on with that project. If it provokes such different feelings it would be a good idea to go a bit further.

I always thought that the right way to present those images would be in a book. By the end of last year I produced a first dummy. This worked out quite well, but still not good enough. The printing wasn’t really striking and the editing was not yet distinct enough. I went on taking pictures at Alexanderplatz and after thinking about how to produce and how to publish the book this summer, the decision was made to produce it in time for a release in autumn this year when ALEX will be part of a group show during The 4th European Month of Photography in Berlin.

Writing a decent preface seems to be as difficult as editing the pictures perfectly. This is the stage that the book is now at. I think I’ll write a view posts about the development of it here on blog61 – so this will tell a story about the pleasure but also the problems in producing my first photo book.

… made a second small book: it´s out of my ‘Amber Thieves’ – story. Also this one you can check out and of course buy on blurb.com.

… made a small book out of my ‘Wrestling’ – story. You can check it out and of course buy on blurb.com.

First we take Berlin then we take London. Just got the message that my LONDONERS series will be part of Slideluck Potshow in London this saturday. Fortunately I’ll be in London anyway so I’m very much looking forward to the event. Check SLPS Website for details.

… and my Urban B’Sides series on US based blog photographyblogger.net

Kick off for the screenings tonight is 10 pm – not 7 pm as previously announced. Official Website

We are happy to announce that the both of us – Thomas Lobenwein (Wrestling) and Christian Reister (ALEX) - will be part of the Slideluck Potshow Berlin III at MMX, Linienstr. 142 /143, Berlin on 10th of June 2010.
The screenings start at 7pm 10pm. All information about the event here.

Complete List of participating artists: Klaus Muenzner * Christian Reister * OSTKREUZ Agentur der Fotografen * Thomas Lobenwein * Alicia Ross * Andrea Gjestvang * Andreas Gefeller * Andy Levin * Anya Jasbar * Ashe Kazanjian * Britney Anne Majure * Cezary Zacharewicz * Chiara Dazi * Daniel Augschoell * David Rae Morris * Emile Hyperion Dubuisson * Esther-Judith Hinz * Fiona Struengmann * Goodyn Green * Jan von Holleben * Jeff Harris * Jonah Samson * Lindsay Isola * Magnus Bjerk * Michael Grecco * Michael Harris * Mila Teshaieva * Mirko Tsotchew * Nick Shifflet * Nicolo Lanfranchi * Ninna Berger * Olivier Blaecke * Robin F. Williams * Shepard Fairey * Sven Jacobsen * Thomas Graichen

… seen on the pet-fair Berlin.

Berlin 2009

I am happy to announce that my latest story is going on exhibition at Fenster61, Berlin-Mitte, in June 2010. It´s about the branch of athletics called wrestling done by athletes from Turkey, Germany, Russia, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Romania, Bulgaria, Armenia, Chechnya.

I visited training and competition of Türkischer Ringerverein Berlin for several months to capture something like the spirit of what is happening there.

Berlin 2009

www.public-life.org is a street photography website and blog run by Robert Engelhardt, Berlin. 15 photographers from around the globe are presenting their portfolios. A very interesting section of public life is the media section combining video documentations about William Eggleston, Elliott Erwitt, William Klein, Martin Parr, Garry Winogrand, Bruce Gilden and other heroes of the genre. Another fine section ist the Features Section in which you can find an early selection of my ALEX series.

Berlin 2009, from the ALEX series.

On a trip through Eastern Europe, some years ago, I visited Kaliningrad, where the worldwide biggest amber state holding company is located. Digging for amber is highly profitable and the owner of the spot, the Sate of Russia, wants to keep the profit itself. Nonetheless a lot of stealing and corruption is going on there, which is tolerated to some extension. Outside the fences of the company area, villagers try to gather some small profit too, by digging for amber with their hands, which is not tolerated. I followed these men for a day. The whole story is posted on Focus Online, taking part in a photo-story competition.

Kaliningrad 2004

Berlin 2009 (to be continued)

I spent the whole last weekend at the Berliner Country Music Fair shooting portraits of country fans for my new project which will be exhibited in Berlin this autumn. After shooting portraits the whole day long I still found some time to watch the bands and audience in the evening.

btw: had the GREATEST assistant EVER: the one and only THOMAS LOBENWEIN. Raise your glass on Thomas!