by Yvette Depaepe

Joerg Vollrath started photography four years ago.  Curiosity was his main drive when he got a DSLR as a present.  He improved his skills by self-study and is now an excellent and successful photographer who excels in Architecture and continuously strives to develop his own style. 
Let us explore and discover the artist behind his work through this interview.

'… gold'

Dear Joerg, can you briefly tell us about yourself, your hobbies and other jobs.
I am 50 years old, married and have two children. I live in Alpen on the Niederrhein / Germany. I’m working as a carpenter. I've had my own company for 20 years. In addition, I have a job as a caregiver in a workshop for disabled people.
The time that remains I dedicate to the family and photography.

'… modern living in Amsterdam'

'… swing'

How has your history and life experiences affected your photography?
For many years I was mainly travelling for my company. After changing the structure and processes, I had more time for my family and my hobby, photography. Very often, in the evening or at the weekend I go on a photo tour with my friends or my wife.  These tours are a total relaxation for myself.

'… they are still driving'

What first attracted you to photography?
Everything started with a DSLR gift. That was 4 years ago. Curiosity was the drive. I became friends with other photographers, bought magazines, attended at training sessions, watched videos on the internet, and gradually understood my camera. After a first successful participation in competitions and positive ratings in communities I realized that I was on the right track. 

'… stripes'

Describe your overall photographic vision.
I want to take photos that others and myself like. Of course, I ‘m always glad about positive feedback. This encourages me to try other things. I’ve always been interested in Architecture Photography and photos of other photographers inspired me to go deeper into the genre. Before that, I mostly did night shots. Especially industrial photography excites me a lot.

'… tiled'

'… industrial'

Why are you so drawn by Abstract & Architecture Photography?
I am fascinated by the shapes and views of the buildings. In search of the right position, observing light and sun, maybe even a lamp or traffic light, and photographic techniques. I underestimated architecture photography. It's definitely a challenge and that's why I like it that much. When you post-edit your pictures after a successful tour, often to the Netherlands, you still have all the possibilities to create different styles. I think the BW Fine Art is great. But I did not want to copy the style of others, instead I try to find my own style.

'...two spots'

What is more important to you, the mood/story behind your images or the technical perfection?
I think I'm more of a perfectionist. I want the quality of the pictures to be good. I do not see a story in my architectural photos except the personal memories of the making of the photo. But I have ideas how to combine stories and moods with architectural photography. Let's see if I succeed.

'… Hyatt'

What generally is your relationship to your subject matter beyond being an observer?
It’s a topic with many possibilities of interpretation.

'… light hall'

Do you prepare carefully the locations where you are intending to photograph?
Of course, when planning a tour, I inquire about the city's hotspots. However, one often finds interesting objects away from the centres. So, I’m always on the hunt for unknown motives.

'… MMXVII'

'… fifteen floors'

What gear do you use (camera, lenses, bag)?
I take my pictures with a Canon 700D and lenses from 10 to 600 mm from Canon, Sigma and Tamron. Depending on the topic of course. A Rollei C6i tripod, Haida filter and a backpack from Xtrem+, are also part of the accessory. In architectural photography, I hardly use another lens than my sigma 10-20.

What software do you use to process your images?
Lightroom, Photoshop and NIK Filter.

Who are your favourite photographers and more importantly, how has your appreciation of their work affected how you approach your own photography?
There are many photographers on 1x who make wonderful photos. They come from a variety of genres. With the follow button I show my appreciation. Since I've been on 1x, I've seen so many fantastic photos that you're naturally inspired by and which cause you to see and present objects differently.

Is there any specific photo taken by another photographer that has inspired you a lot and why?

'Face to face' by Marc Huybrighs

'Face to face' by Marc Huybrighs is just genius. Print with 2 meters edge length ... a dream.
Conclusion: To implement things that are usually taken out of a photo, because they are hiding a building or something, is just brilliant.

Are there any specific directions that you would like to take your photography in the future or any specific goals that you wish to achieve?
In my portfolio you can see that I also like to operate with other genres. I would like to take photos of even more various genres in the future, because I think that photography is too versatile to concentrate on only one topic.

'… the polar bear and the boy # 2'

'… roar'

Describe your favourite photograph taken by you and why it is special to you?
With this photo, patience was necessary. I really wanted to have the subway on the photo. It is a photo that works because of the situation and the perspective. A complex post-edit was not necessary. In addition, it was a relaxed tour on a Sunday.

'… waiting zone'

Is there anything else you wish to add and what do you think about 1X as a home base for your work?
I just want to say thank you. A big thank you, for every click, to the members, I'm overwhelmed by the response to my photos. Thanks to Yvette for this opportunity to introduce myself.

Joerg Vollrath