Christa Klubert

David Maurer: Portraying everyday Heros for Iveco Magirus

Whatever the weather, come rain come storm, Iveco Magirus is there to the rescue. The company has been around for 150 years and with many inventions of groundbreaking technologies in the industry, it is no surprise that they are one of the most successful manufacturers of firefighting trucks and rescue vehicles in the world today. To show off their big toys, Iveco Magirus were keen to put David Maurer’s technical skills to the test. Whilst these images are highly skilled in their execution, with the help of unusual angles and high contrast, David also conveys a strong sense of reliability and bravery that each one of these trucks and their fire fighters will inevitably become involved in.

Johannes Knuth: Banning life on Celluloid for Sijox

Do you wanna know how happy people with a sense for safety look like? Then take a look at this new commercials Johannes Knuth shot for his client Sijox, a German insurance brand under Signal Iduna. Once again he’s able to give us this feeling of effortless living and working, all while doing a absolute professional production. Thank you very much Johannes, just keep bringing it on! See the commercial here By the way. This movie was chosen to be presented in The Reel Hour 2013 and won a honorable mention by Steffen Gentis, Chief Production Officer BBDO Germany.

Lutz Hilgers: Jet-setting with Villeroy & Boch's Affinity hotel dinner wear

Considering we’re talking about Villeroy & Bosch, here’s something a little different. Instead of your usual stylised dinnerware still life in an appropriately decorated setting, this smart new print campaign shot by Lutz Hilgers makes for a clever, tongue in cheek alternative to the otherwise predictable world of crockery. V&B are convinced that their newly designed hospitality range will have such an “Affinity” with the jet-setting hotel hopping crowd, that it will be just that little bit TOO tempting for them not to resist… Leave the doggy bag behind, let’s just have the serving plate in stead!

Johann Bisesti: Ultraportraits - Seeking aesthetic truth

Johann Bisesti went on a mission to photograph more than 70 models in his pursuit of aesthetic truths. These “Ultra Portraits” are all taken au naturale: no make-up, no post production, just pure honest portraiture. Most of these faces, are unusually striking, yet not necessarily conventionally beautiful. You might even spot the notion of a dark panther or some wide eyed forest creature lurking behind them. There seems to be an underlying shift in our perception of beauty, at least according to the latest model recruits and especially if you compare it to the models that were cast 15-20 years ago (Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Marcus Schenkenberg…). Would they really still interest us today? Are we so sick and tired of seeing and evaluating perfection that we are finally beginning to appreciate the imperfect, slightly flawed and imbalanced? On his journey into facial proportions Bisesti shows us how very compelling such unique characteristic features can be. Gone are the days where we worship perfection. We now find beauty in deeper levels.

Hall of Fame: Blue Diamond Award for Dean West

Hall of Fame: New York Festivals Award for David Maurer

Hall of Fame: The American Photography Award for Johannes Knuth

Hall of Fame: Recent Awards for our Artists

The fight for an awards panel’s approval is even harder than the fight for the public’s attention. Which is why we are particularly pleased that our photographers have already managed to win over so many eyes this year. For example at the New York Festivals, American Photography Award, Blue Diamond Photo Award.?? Congratulations!

Johannes Knuth: Joyful Lifestyle Shooting for Sijox

When the team behind the Hamburg based digital branding and communications agency Delasocial and the art buyer Ellen Kleinbölting were looking for a vibrant and energetic young photographer who loves nothing more than to capture the dynamics of the moment, it was soon very obvious, that Johannes Knuth was their man. The client being Sijox, a German insurance brand under Signal Iduna aimed at young professionals, gave Johannes the freedom to develop the visual language and style in collaboration with good creatives. What a lovely trusting client that is. And those values of trust and freedom are what also shine through the series that Johannes ended up shooting for them. See the complete series "here":http://christaklubert.com/portfolio/johannes-knuth/vita-jk

David Maurer: SKODA Superb Campaign Shooting in Lisbon

When there's a shiny new car in town, you need a shiny new campaign to go with it. Leagas Delaney's Hamburg team were asked to develop the print campaign that corresponds with the TV ad for the new Skoda Superb. And what a Superb looking Skoda it is! David Maurer, who has shot many recent Skoda campaigns, has yet again not just met the brief but exceeded our expectations. Whilst lending a very natural daylight feel combined with a warm summery glow to the look of the shoot, David's lighting techniques and post-production skills have given the Skoda Superb that extra sparkle. Not only does the Superb now turn heads of pretty ladies on zebra crossings, but also of fluffy highland sheep - should you ever want to impress one with your shiny Skoda…

Nick Ballon: Bolivian Bowler Hats film and series for Port Magazine

British photographer and director Nick Ballon has been revisiting Bolivia many times over the years, in an ongoing personal and artistic endeavor to explore and document the idiosyncrasies of a culture that is integral to his national heritage. In this series shot for Port magazine, Nick follows the stories and characters behind the chola hat, a traditional headdress particular to the Bolivian chola and cholita women, for whom the hat has become part of their unique expression of their identity laced in tradition. In his serenely concise portraits, these women skillfully and proudly balance this descendant of the British bowler hat atop their heads, like a finishing, crowning glory to their traditional dress, almost rendering themselves into sculptural totems of their own niche culture. "Here":http://christaklubert.com/portfolio/videos/nick-ballon-sombrero-de-la-pace-a you can view this wonderfully considered moving image directed by Nick during his visit to the Sombreros Sucre hat factory in La Paz. . Amidst the carefully composed crops of old Victorian, spinning industrial wheels, felt presses, plumes of steam and weightless clouds of fluff in dusty sunlight, we gain a priceless glimpse into the world of well kept secrets in traditional hatmaking that demands human skill and patience and a love for felt that is passed on from generation to generation. We can only hope that Nick Ballon continues to visually educate us with his cultural snippets from his fascinating and richly sensitive distant country.

Sander Foederer: Playtime for Metro Cash & Carry Moscow

Yes, there is someone in the world who's job it is to buy cuddly toys en masse. And why not turn it into a little game while you're at it, and see how many you can get into one big arm full. The cuddlier and the bigger, the better! Hey, is this work or is this playtime? Looks like pretty much everyone shopping at Moscow's Metro Cash & Carry is having an awesome time between the aisles. Sander Foederer visited the Moscow branch of this international wholesale brand to spend a day in the lives of people who shop at Metro and see how it enables them to carry out their professions and keep everything running smoothly at work - from the nursery that needs fresh produce for their kitchen to the local mini-mart. Real reportage of real people is what tells these stories best, and Sander knows just how to bring that across.

Quicker, nicer, better

Welcome to our freshest website. We redesigned it so that you can quickly get to some of the nicest imagery, created by some of the bestest photographers of our time. You will find a PDF-generator, your own light box and further sharing functions for your convenience. For the first time we'll also be sharing some moving images with you, produced on location of various shoots. Have fun exploring!

David Maurer: Lotus Series - Retro meets Future

Now here's an über cool stretch of car shots if ever there was one! These are the visual feasts that come to fruition, when you simply let the guy with the vision do his thing. And in this case, the man with the vision is David Maurer. Our Frankfurt based super hero for all things made of metal with wheels or wings ( BMW, Audi, Lufthansa) took it upon himself to revive the somewhat unsung cult status of the Lotus Éclat 22 – and perhaps an unsung mechanic turned electro god?! Don't you just love those 80's RGB disco portraits?! Pimp me up David! – Deliberately combining the natural light in an abandoned industrial hall with unusual and progressive lighting tricks he has ended up creating this stunning retro future clash where the gritty contrast of the industrial surroundings comes face to face with the beautiful streamlined 1980's contours and reflections of the Lotus, a car which, at it's time was one of the most minimalist and futuristic looking things on wheels – let's just call it “futro” shall we… because if you ever want to come back to the futro again, David is the one who can take you there. Fast forward and rewind all at the same time…

Christian Rolfes: Monster Attac

Christian Rolfes loves to go to town, especially when it comes to letting his imagination run wild… Rolfes, who sure has a playful and quirky streak in him, has shot for the likes of Adidas and Der Spiegel, and top advertising agencies DDB Düsseldorf and Jung von Matt, and was voted Talent of the Year 2011 by The Art Directors Club Germany. You just need to give him a concept – in this case the festering evils of the big cities - and the freedom to go a bit bonkers in his studio, and before you know it, he'll be building whole imaginary cities out of cardboard and other things flying about in the studio that he can get his hands on, including tights. Yes, tights. Stress, pollution and other similar “angsts” of ours caused by the pressures and intensities of the cities have manifested into giant angry and all consuming monsters made out of stuffed tights. They really do have an unsettling nature to them don't they? Yet Christian still manages to keep it all gloomily tongue in cheek. What a fun shoot! So next time you have an assignment to shoot some crazy bulging tights-monsters - Who you gonna call?!

Denis Ignatov: In Wonderland with Mickey Rourke's girl

You can tell, that Denis Ignatov is really in his element when he gets to build elaborate almost cinematic trailer trash sets where he can shoot beautiful women to his hearts delight! This time he had the opportunity to shoot the elegantly chiseled model Anastassija Makarenko for HUF magazine. Anastassija also happens to be Mickey Rourke’s girlfriend of more than just 9 ½ weeks. They now live in Germany together, and apparently she has tamed him - well, with a sickle like that, I think pretty much any man would (have to) behave! Entitled “Wonderland”, we find her musing about in a neon lit twilight zone caught somewhere between the theatrical underworld and death’s favourite playground where he hangs out on his day off. Lavishly trashy, with dark and mysterious undertones, this is one gorgeous shoot, thanks also to the excellent styling by Rolf Buck. With brilliant lighting and stunning set design, Denis really has triumphed here and got the very best out of himself and his team. Next up – Vogue!

Lutz Hilgers: Reflections

Lutz Hilgers has shot for many high profile brands, such as Lavazza, Villeroy & Boch, Nokia and Sony to name a few. From fashion and lifestyle to architecture and interiors, his expertise is very wide ranging, making him one of those much sought after all-rounders who is equally great with people places and spaces alike. Recently he has been capturing his everyday observations in cities such as London and Paris, whilst on the go. The use of reflections often involves richly saturated colours that Lutz brings to our attention. This all becomes a part of his language with which he layers surfaces and space, thus helping us create a portal into deeper dimensions within our mind’s eye and making us contemplate the seemingly mundane from a very private place. Lutz thereby invites us to go on an inner journey of our own as we dive into his photographic wanderings.

Nick Ballon: Halifax

Halifax, the musically inclined UK banking and insurance company that just can’t stop singing it’s way to our hearts, recently appointed the very talented young Nick Ballon to shoot full length portraits of their staff as a special run of alternative cover press ads for the Guardian. The agency behind this commission, which in fact was inspired by Nick’s series documenting another London based ad agency, Mother, where he was given all access to collect his obscure and charming impressions and upfront portraits on softly muted coloured backgrounds. Here, the Halifax staff are set against even more vibrantly glowing backdrops of peachy yellows, corals and fuchsias, making them pop out all the more in all their humanness which Nick manages to expose with a certain degree of collected casualness. The beauty here lies within the stillness of the apparent vibrancy. No need for song and dance.

Julia Fullerton-Batten: A Testament to Love – Cinematic Still Life of a Love Story

London based award winning photographer, Julia Fullerton-Batten presents us with a personal series she shot this year, entitled "At Testament to Love". She has created cinematic, Edward Hopper-esque stills that capture just one brief moment – the moment shortly before or after a dramatic point – of a love story. Charged with intrigue, we the viewer, are automatically drawn in to weave a web of stories around the dramatic clues we pick up on. Do we see empowered women, who have chosen this new path ahead of them, or do we see tragedy and victims of love? What we then realise, is that by placing the character at such a dramatic crossroads in their lives, we become the protagonist. It is our own deepest, most internal emotions, wishes and fears that are thus exposed by Julia, and any negative judgment we make, is ultimately, the self-criticism we need to work on most in our lives. Heavy stuff, huh?

Tillmann Franzen: Teatime at Catherine Palace with the BMW 7 series

Being an enthusiastic and passionate BMW driver himself, Tillmann was more than thrilled when Intersection Magazine invited him to shoot a lovely outdoor story of the newly revamped BMW 7 series. The shoot took him to the Catherine Palace, 25km outside of St Petersburg, where he popped in for some afternoon tea – and with a car like that parked outside the opulent rococo style palace, you might begin to feel more at home there than is appropriate… Officially the fastest limousine in the world, the “make over” of the 7 series is mostly internal and packed full of technical gadgetry, which would make even James Bond’s buddy Q suffer from a serious case of inventors-envy.

Denis Ignatov: ic! Berlin Designer in Eyewear Mag

Denis Ignatov, true to his style, continues his run of high impact portraits, this time with a commission for Eyewear Magazine to photograph Ralph Anderl, eyewear designer and founder of ic! Berlin. In the interview, we discover that this man is full of contrasts and extremes, who chooses to live his life to the full and be a minimalist at the same time. From headstands, to long cold showers and inspiration from Bach to salad, he appears as complex and simultaneously straightforward as his portraits do. Anyone with a room full of tatami mats at home has got to be philosophically inclined..! I can’t help but think what a befitting choice Denis was to shoot this story, and wonder if he too stands on his head sometimes to see the world from a different perspective.

David Maurer: Sexy Forklifts for Crown

I don't think I've ever seen an advert for a fork-lift before, have you? And certainly not as sophisticated and stylised as this one! But this oddly shaped gadget designed by the brand "Crown" is meant to be the bees knees in the secret world of fork-lifting – so much so, that none of the business managers want to spread the word of the source of their success – so the agency had to call upon David Maurer to do it for them. I can just imagine the art director going "Yes, more! More sexy please, that fork-lift has got to look sexy..!" And when you're shooting fork-lifts, it really is all about the lighting. You want a sexy fork-lift? Call David Maurer.

Julia Fullerton-Batten: Hornbachs Dreamy Immortality – The Diary of a staircase

Well here's an interesting challenge Julia Fullerton-Batten was faced with. Hornbach is a German home improvement centre, also providing parquet and stair casing to the highest standards, but they wanted to give their products the personal touch, and visualise the long lasting durable quality of their products whilst bringing up the connotations of heritage and legacy. So rather unusually, the creative concept was to blend the wooden surfaces in with the faces of those who had "laid the path" so to speak, or built the solid stair case that has seen so many generations and family stories pass by on it. Julia nailed the brief (and the parquet? Who knows..!) with her ethereal portraits of the older generation who's wood laying legacy we so unassumingly tread on today. She thus captures the dreamy immortality with which Hornbach aim to inspire the next generation of DIY enthusiasts. There are many ways to heaven, and here you have the Hornbach way.

Julia Fullerton-Batten: Retro Chic - Kids Editorial in Telegraph Magazine

The Telegraph Magazine commissioned Julia Fullerton-Batten with this rather intriguing fashion shoot starring Estela Andres and Charlie Dulieu, both just 6 years old. Retro chic is the motto, in impeccably styled interiors with 50's decor, and some very serious kids playing "grown ups". Resonating with Julia's personal series "Mothers & Daughters", this shoot has that same slightly unnerving but curiously pulling effect on us. Julia obviously knew exactly what she wanted from this shoot and has gone into great lengths to get every detail right, as is always the case with her highly narrative shoots. And somehow, I can't help but see a bit of an innocently spoilt little madame (much like Mad Men's Betty) coming across in that misty glare of Estela's, which she pulls off so effortlessly.

Tillmann Franzen: Böwer exclusive furniture collection

For this absolutely gorgeous still life series Tillmann Franzen collaborated very closely together with furniture designer Eric Degenhardt on developing the creative concept of the shoot and it's minimal yet striking set design, allowing some basic structures and materials to appear as honestly as the products themselves. Degenhardt was commissioned by Böwer, a German interiors and furniture company with carpentry history dating back to 1888. The style has evolved with the times, and in this collection you can clearly see Degenhardt's influence by Dieter Rams, which he moves on to a whole new generation. Tillmann's studio lighting is highly considered as is every single angle and those wonderful highlights of smooth turquoise and fiery bright red. I think I have a severe case of furniture envy!