1. How did creativity shape your childhood? Did you grow up surrounded by art, film, or photography — and how did that shape your sense of self? - I grew up in Dresden (East Germany) in a small apartment called "Plattenbau" with about 50 square meters, two older half-brothers, my parents, always three cats and a big dog. Unfortunately, art hardly or never played a role in my family. Rather, how to survive financially.

2. You studied at the renowned Ostkreuz School for Art and Documentary Photography. How did you end up there, and what was the deciding factor in your application? - I never wanted to be a photographer, at least not professionally. However, more and more people discovered my talent, which is why a friend suggested that I apply to this school. At the time, I had no idea (I was 26/27) that you had to create professional printed portfolios for something like this, so I just sent my Tumblr links by email, haha. The application deadline for the school had already passed a few weeks earlier, but somehow they invited me anyway and shortly afterwards I was part of the school. The school was quite expensive (€400 a month), and at the time I only had a part-time job where I earned €640 a month and no rich parents. I had to hustle, so I started photographing events in clubs, where I was out and about a lot anyway, and that's how I became more and more of a photographer. Photography took up so much of my time, which was/is great, that I had to scale back my old ‘career’ as a skateboarder. That decision was hard for me, almost like breaking up in a relationship.

3. Travel is a part of your work. What does being in new places unlock in you creatively? How does moving between cities like Berlin, London, and elsewhere shape your perspective? - I suppose that has something to do with my past as a skateboarder. We were always on the move, even if it was just short trips. We were always meeting new people, seeing different places, experiencing different mentalities. And of course the light. In foreign cities, there are simply more impressions, everything is different, which is fun for the brain and keeps you awake.

4. Your images often balance stillness and intensity. Where does that instinct come from? Is it intuitive, or rooted in how you move through the world? - Many stories are also hidden in the little things. Sometimes hands say more about a person than their eyes. Or an empty coffee cup on the floor with lipstick on it, next to a hastily smoked cigarette - that would also tell more than the lipstick on the lips. Sometimes it's the big picture, but you only know that when you see the situation. I always carry a camera with me, all my private photos were taken instinctively.

5. What motivates you to keep creating? When you hit creative walls, what brings you back to the process? - That's the most difficult question. To be honest, I'm a bit tired of Berlin at the moment. This city is well on its way to destroying itself. I'm finding it difficult to see any new/interesting subjects here at the moment. I'm flying to Mexico in a few days. I've never been there before and am looking forward to new impressions! But to answer the question short: if you're stuck, be patient, give yourself time, read... and if you have the opportunity, travel.

6. Identity and perspective are central to art. How does your own background influence the way you shoot? Do you feel your personal history is always present in your work? - Of course! My images often thrive on fleeting moments and small observations. For me, it's mostly about moments and having a good time. Growing up in a family with two older brothers wasn't easy as a kid in East Germany. In my pictures, I often show the beautiful, the ugly, togetherness, things I want, things I don’t want, but always before the line, before a photo becomes cheesy.

7. What would you like your creative legacy to be? What do you hope your body of work says about you, and about the world you’ve captured?

8. Do you see photography as documentation, storytelling, or something else entirely? How do you hope people engage with your images? - When I take photos, I am of course very happy that so many people like them, but I document them for myself. It's quite normal for photos to tell a story. Every picture does that, or at least it should.

9. Can you share a recent project or body of work that feels significant to you?
What’s the story behind it, and what did you discover in the process of making it? - Unfortunately, I'm not the type of person who always documents topics or places photographically. I only take individual photos and can only put together a series afterwards and see what the photos have to offer/say/have to do with me. But what I'm always working on, of course, is photographing my daughter, part of which can also be seen on my website.

10. What’s inspiring you right now — outside of photography? Books, music, conversations, places — what’s feeding your creative lens at the moment? The most beautiful, coolest, and funniest person in my life - my four year old daughter. Otherwise, I like to spend time on my own and with my friends. Or watch mafia movies from the 90s/2000s, or films by Eric Rohmer, Ulrich Seidl...