ABOUT
I work as a documentary photographer, make portraits and work conceptually with images.
In 2018 I graduated from HSBI Bielefeld with a Bachelor of Arts in Photography and Media. I now live and work in Berlin and am open to enquiries from anywhere in the world.
I love working with people and their real stories. That means being right in the middle of things, capturing the moments. Through images I document feelings and events that would otherwise go unseen.
I can stand in front of a Rothko for hours. Recently, standing before his painting “Red on Orange”, I felt as if I were lying on a beach in the midday sun with my eyes closed: the red shimmer behind the eyelids, a memory stronger than any real picture of sea or sun could ever evoke.
When I'm not photographing, I like to seek out quiet places in nature and enjoy a good cup of coffee.
LEGAL NOTICE
The legal notice and privacy policy are legally binding in German. This English version is a courtesy translation.
INFORMATION PURSUANT TO § 5 DDG
Matthias Pfänder
Photographer
Schlieperstraße 70
13507 Berlin
CONTACT
E-mail: info@matthiaspfaender.de
Phone: +49 (0) 176 3146 9006
VAT
In line with § 19 UStG (German small business exemption), no VAT is charged or shown.
RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT PURSUANT TO § 18 (2) MSTV
Matthias Pfänder, address as above.
CONSUMER DISPUTE RESOLUTION
I am neither willing nor obliged to take part in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.
LIABILITY FOR CONTENT AND LINKS
I have put care into the content of this site, but I cannot guarantee that it is accurate, complete or up to date. The site links to external third-party websites, over whose content I have no control. I accept no liability for that content; the respective provider is always responsible for it. If I become aware of any legal violations, I will remove the links in question immediately.
COPYRIGHT
All photographs and texts on this site are protected by copyright. © Matthias Pfänder. Any use, reproduction or distribution, including in part, requires my prior written consent. Images of people shown here and works by third parties may only be used with the additional consent of those involved.
PRIVACY POLICY
The legal notice and privacy policy are legally binding in German. This English version is a courtesy translation.
1. Data protection at a glance
General information
The following notes give a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this website. Personal data is any data that can be used to identify you personally. For detailed information on data protection, please see the privacy policy below this text.
Data collection on this website
Who is responsible for data collection on this website?
Data on this website is processed by the website operator. You can find the operator's contact details in the section “Information on the controller” in this privacy policy.
How do we collect your data?
Firstly, your data is collected when you provide it to us. This could be, for example, data you enter in a contact form.
Other data is collected automatically, or with your consent, by our IT systems when you visit the website. This is mainly technical data (for example, internet browser, operating system or time of the page view). This data is collected automatically as soon as you enter this website.
What do we use your data for?
Part of the data is collected to ensure the website is provided without errors. Other data may be used to analyse your user behaviour. If contracts can be concluded or initiated via the website, the data submitted is also processed for contract offers, orders or other enquiries.
What rights do you have regarding your data?
You have the right at any time to receive information free of charge about the origin, recipients and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request the correction or deletion of this data. If you have given consent to data processing, you can withdraw this consent at any time with effect for the future. You also have the right, under certain circumstances, to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data. Furthermore, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.
You can contact us at any time with this and any further questions on data protection.
Analysis tools and third-party tools
When you visit this website, your browsing behaviour may be statistically analysed. This is done mainly with so-called analysis programmes.
Detailed information on these analysis programmes can be found in the following privacy policy.
2. Hosting
We host the content of our website with the following provider:
IONOS
The provider is IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany (hereinafter IONOS). When you visit our website, IONOS collects various log files, including your IP address. For details, please see IONOS's privacy policy: https://www.ionos.de/terms-gtc/terms-privacy.
IONOS is used on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in presenting our website as reliably as possible. Where consent has been requested, processing takes place exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and Section 25(1) TDDDG, insofar as the consent covers the storage of cookies or access to information on the user's device (e.g. device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
3. General information and mandatory disclosures
Data protection
The operators of these pages take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations and this privacy policy.
When you use this website, various personal data is collected. Personal data is data that can be used to identify you personally. This privacy policy explains what data we collect and what we use it for. It also explains how and for what purpose this happens.
Please note that data transmission over the internet (for example, when communicating by email) can have security gaps. Complete protection of data from access by third parties is not possible.
Information on the controller
The controller responsible for data processing on this website is:
Matthias Pfänder
Schlieperstraße 70
13507 Berlin
Phone: 017631469006
E-Mail: info@matthiaspfaender.de
The controller is the natural or legal person who, alone or jointly with others, decides on the purposes and means of processing personal data (for example, names, email addresses or the like).
Storage period
Unless a more specific storage period has been stated within this privacy policy, your personal data remains with us until the purpose of the data processing no longer applies. If you make a legitimate request for deletion or withdraw your consent to data processing, your data will be deleted, unless we have other legally permissible reasons for storing your personal data (for example, retention periods under tax or commercial law); in the latter case, deletion takes place once these reasons no longer apply.
General information on the legal bases of data processing on this website
If you have consented to data processing, we process your personal data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR or Art. 9(2)(a) GDPR, where special categories of data under Art. 9(1) GDPR are processed. In the case of explicit consent to the transfer of personal data to third countries, data processing also takes place on the basis of Art. 49(1)(a) GDPR. If you have consented to the storage of cookies or to access to information on your device (e.g. via device fingerprinting), data processing also takes place on the basis of Section 25(1) TDDDG. Consent can be withdrawn at any time. If your data is required for the performance of a contract or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures, we process your data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. We also process your data where this is necessary to fulfil a legal obligation, on the basis of Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. Data processing may also take place on the basis of our legitimate interest under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The legal bases relevant in each individual case are set out in the following paragraphs of this privacy policy.
Recipients of personal data
In the course of our business activities, we work with various external parties. In some cases this also requires the transfer of personal data to these external parties. We only pass on personal data to external parties if this is necessary for the performance of a contract, if we are legally obliged to do so (for example, passing data to tax authorities), if we have a legitimate interest in the disclosure under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, or if another legal basis permits the disclosure. When using processors, we only pass on our customers' personal data on the basis of a valid data processing agreement. In the case of joint processing, a joint processing agreement is concluded.
Withdrawal of your consent to data processing
Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You can withdraw consent you have already given at any time. The lawfulness of the data processing carried out until the withdrawal remains unaffected.
Right to object to data collection in special cases and to direct marketing (Art. 21 GDPR)
IF DATA PROCESSING IS BASED ON ART. 6(1)(E) OR (F) GDPR, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AT ANY TIME TO OBJECT TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA ON GROUNDS ARISING FROM YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING BASED ON THESE PROVISIONS. THE RESPECTIVE LEGAL BASIS ON WHICH PROCESSING IS BASED CAN BE FOUND IN THIS PRIVACY POLICY. IF YOU OBJECT, WE WILL NO LONGER PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA CONCERNED, UNLESS WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPELLING LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR THE PROCESSING THAT OVERRIDE YOUR INTERESTS, RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, OR THE PROCESSING SERVES TO ESTABLISH, EXERCISE OR DEFEND LEGAL CLAIMS (OBJECTION UNDER ART. 21(1) GDPR).
IF YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS PROCESSED FOR DIRECT MARKETING, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA CONCERNING YOU FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUCH MARKETING; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING INSOFAR AS IT IS RELATED TO SUCH DIRECT MARKETING. IF YOU OBJECT, YOUR PERSONAL DATA WILL SUBSEQUENTLY NO LONGER BE USED FOR DIRECT MARKETING (OBJECTION UNDER ART. 21(2) GDPR).
Right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority
In the event of violations of the GDPR, data subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the member state of their habitual residence, place of work or the place of the alleged violation. The right to lodge a complaint is without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedies.
Right to data portability
You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in fulfilment of a contract handed over to you or to a third party in a commonly used, machine-readable format. If you request the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will only be done where technically feasible.
Access, correction and deletion
Within the scope of the applicable statutory provisions, you have the right at any time to free information about your stored personal data, its origin and recipients and the purpose of the data processing and, where applicable, a right to correction or deletion of this data. You can contact us at any time with this and any further questions on personal data.
Right to restriction of processing
You have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data. You can contact us at any time for this purpose. The right to restriction of processing applies in the following cases:
- If you dispute the accuracy of your personal data stored by us, we generally need time to verify this. For the duration of the verification, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.
- If the processing of your personal data was or is unlawful, you can request the restriction of data processing instead of deletion.
- If we no longer need your personal data but you need it to exercise, defend or establish legal claims, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data instead of deletion.
- If you have lodged an objection under Art. 21(1) GDPR, a balancing of your interests and ours must be carried out. Until it has been determined whose interests prevail, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.
If you have restricted the processing of your personal data, this data – apart from being stored – may only be processed with your consent or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims, to protect the rights of another natural or legal person, or for reasons of important public interest of the European Union or a member state.
SSL/TLS encryption
For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as orders or enquiries that you send to us as the site operator, this site uses SSL/TLS encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the fact that the browser's address bar changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock symbol in your browser bar.
If SSL/TLS encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.
Objection to promotional emails
We hereby object to the use of contact details published as part of the legal notice obligation for sending promotional and information material that has not been expressly requested. The operators of the site expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of unsolicited advertising, for example through spam emails.
4. Data collection on this website
Enquiries by email, telephone or fax
If you contact us by email, telephone or fax, your enquiry, including all resulting personal data (name, enquiry), will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of handling your request. We do not pass this data on without your consent.
This data is processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR if your enquiry is related to the performance of a contract or is necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, processing is based on our legitimate interest in the effective handling of enquiries addressed to us (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) if this was requested; consent can be withdrawn at any time.
The data you send us via contact enquiries remains with us until you ask us to delete it, withdraw your consent to storage, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies (for example, after your request has been dealt with). Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular statutory retention periods – remain unaffected.
Source: e-recht24.de
PORTRAITS
ongoing
Open collection, personal work
An open, ongoing collection of portraits that sits alongside my series without being a series itself. What you see here is a selection.
THE KIDS WE USED TO BE
2013/14
Photobook, artist's edition 2014
There are nights that can't be explained and don't have to be. Friends move through the darkness together, and what remains is a feeling of closeness, vulnerability and a trust that needs no words. The camera is not an observer here but part of the circle.
The pictures were made in 2013 and 2014, spontaneously, lightly and directly. Nothing was prepared; much of it was down to chance. The title comes from the song of the same name by the band Your Demise (2010), a dedication to friends you never forget and a promise not to let go of the best years entirely. And without any elegance, one thought is all that's left in the end: fuck, that was a great time.
In 2014 the work was published as a photobook in a single artist's edition.
NICE HOME
2014/15
Shanghai, a documentary work
With the breakneck construction of its new district, Pudong, Shanghai shines brighter than ever. The Chinese Dream is coming to life, and the rapid growth demands ever more building. ‘Brilliant City’ is Shanghai's largest high-rise housing estate, home to 50,000 residents. Even after 20 years it is still seen as a model for new projects.
The work moves between surface and detail through canyons of high-rises. The photographs show a change full of contrasts. A life lived by a template, a norm with a character of its own. Everyone has their place in an order that leaves little room for communication, a strange isolation within a dense population. Quite a few residents of the estates report depression. Change takes time, as long-established values have to adapt to new goals. Prosperity and unity are the guiding ideas used to excuse the consequences.
In 2016 the work was published as a photobook in a single artist's edition.
DAS GRÄULICHE FESTMAHL
Premiere 2019
Oper*ette by tutti d*amore, photographed for the group
A carnival burlesque based on Jacques Offenbach. The Berlin collective for contemporary Oper*ette, tutti d*amore, brings it into the present and asks what free space a city still has to offer. The title means “The Ghastly Feast”. It premiered in 2019 at Sisyphos Berlin as part of the PerformingArtsFestival and was later restaged in Berlin, Munich and Leipzig.
The photographs were commissioned by the group. They stay close to the performance, the costumes and the audience. More about the group at tuttidamore.de.
BETTLER*ETTE
2020
Street theatre during the pandemic, photographed for the group
A 35-minute street theatre piece based on Offenbach's operetta Die beiden Blinden (The Two Blind Men). It was created in 2020 during the pandemic. tutti d*amore performed it in the open air, with few means and a lot of imagination.
The photographs show performers among bushes, ladders and backyards. More about the group at tuttidamore.de.
MAGNA MATER
since 2021
Oper*ette. Apocalypse., photographed for the group
A matriarchy taken to extremes, based on the operettas Die schöne Galathée by Suppé and Lysistrata by Lincke. The audience walks through the piece as a promenade and becomes part of an apocalyptic celebration. It was performed at Zirkus Mond Berlin. The evening lasts two and a half hours.
Critics see the group subjecting music theatre to “a rigorous rejuvenation treatment” (Kultura Extra, translated). The photographs were commissioned by the group. More about the group at tuttidamore.de.
AD CREEP
2015
An approach to advertising
The idea is to get close to the content of advertising, quite literally. I photograph large-format advertising posters from up close, then from even closer. But the closer I get, the less content is left. The image breaks down into a halftone screen, and what read as a person from a distance turns graphic as I approach.
The flawlessly retouched faces dissolve into dots, and the print screen becomes the actual image. At the same time, traces of glue and untidy overlaps between posters come into view: details nobody notices from afar, which open up a new reality.
LANDMARKS
2017 – ongoing
Imageless images with coordinates
Once, while taking a photo with my smartphone, I accidentally held a finger in front of the lens. The picture was a field of red. In its embedded coordinates I found where it was taken, and a quick search on Google showed me countless views of the same place. Since then I have been causing this mistake on purpose.
The internet is overflowing with images; it needs no further take on a motif. What remains is colour and mood, an imageless image that can form a direct relationship with the viewer, much as Mark Rothko's paintings do. The only addition is the coordinates of where each field was taken. The work stands against the selfie, of which Han writes: “The face that puts itself on display and vies for attention is not a countenance.” (Byung-Chul Han, In the Swarm, Berlin 2013, p. 39, translated)
DRIFT
2017/18
The bachelor thesis, Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences
DRIFT was created at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences in the winter semester 2017/18. It started from observing the digital human, whom Byung-Chul Han describes as an isolated individual within the digital swarm: alone in front of a screen, yet connected to the whole world. This person looks at pixels, not at faces. Digital communication captures only a fraction of what a conversation involves, since gesture, voice and gaze are missing. In the work, faces emerge from a historical archive image, photographed off a screen, and dissolve from picture to picture into a flat surface.
Digital photography has destroyed the image's indexical value. A picture no longer has to prove that something stood in front of the camera. Even blur, grain and dirt are now staged as authenticity, or generated convincingly by AI. Imperfection, too, has become a surface.
The five faces are printed directly onto brushed aluminium and, besides the screen pattern, have a tactile surface. The gloss makes the pale faces break apart against the dark background even more strongly in the light. The two hands behind acrylic glass seem to float, weightless, because the deep black turns into a mirror and viewers see themselves in the picture.
DIE VÖGEL SINGEN NICHT MEHR
2018 – ongoing
Content, rewritten
I take screenshots of ads that appear on my computer in everyday life, select the whole image in Photoshop and have it replaced using “Content-Aware Fill”.
The title (The Birds No Longer Sing) alludes to birdsong. Many songbirds sing mainly to defend a territory and attract mates; after the breeding season they get quieter or fall silent. The content of the ad has done its job of catching the eye. I have it rewritten by an algorithm that fills in whatever it considers plausible. What remains is calm instead of distracting ad photos, and quiet, aesthetic landscapes.
IM STILLEN IST ES HELL
2019
Cameraless negatives
Large-format negatives exposed without a camera. For a brief moment I hold them up to the light reflected by billboards, the light of the city's outer noise. The negative records no motif, only light.
The title (In Stillness, It Is Bright) joins silence and clarity. Inner stillness is said to be the precondition for a flash of insight. Brightness stands for clarity, focus and inspiration, which only arise once the noise from outside falls quiet. The group consists of two works, each complete in itself.
STAGE AND EVENTS
Theatre photography and event photography in Berlin. I photograph productions, rehearsals and events the way you experience them in the room.
THEATRE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR PRODUCTIONS AND PRESS
I photograph theatre, opera, music theatre and performance. I work with the production's own lighting and stay on the move. Scenes, portraits of the performers and details of costume and set add up to a picture of the evening. The photos work for press, programmes, posters and websites.
PORTRAITS OF ENSEMBLE AND CREW
As well as the production itself, I photograph the people behind it: actors, singers, dancers and musicians, plus directors, technical crew, costume, make-up and the rest of the house team. The portraits are made during a rehearsal break or in the studio. They suit ensemble pictures, programmes, season brochures and websites.
REHEARSAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND DRESS REHEARSAL
The dress rehearsal is often the best time for photos. I work quietly and stay in the background, so the team can keep working with full concentration. If you like, I can photograph several rehearsals and follow how a piece comes together.
EVENT AND OCCASION PHOTOGRAPHY
I capture festivals, premieres, concerts and celebrations the way they feel. The audience is part of it. The pictures convey atmosphere, people and place, and they work for recaps, social media and reports.
FOR THEATRES, FESTIVALS AND ORGANISERS
- Theatres, independent groups and collectives
- Opera and music theatre
- Festivals and cultural organisers
- Agencies and companies with events
REFERENCE TUTTI D*AMORE
For the Berlin collective for contemporary Oper*ette, tutti d*amore, I photographed three productions: a burlesque based on Offenbach, a street theatre piece during the pandemic and a spectacle at Zirkus Mond. All photos were commissioned by the group. You can find out more about the group at tuttidamore.de.
HOW I WORK
- Agreement on piece, dates and usage
- Visit to the rehearsal or dress rehearsal
- Photography of the performance or event
- Portraits of ensemble and crew on request
- Selection and editing in a consistent look
- Delivery for press, archive and social media
SELECTED PRODUCTIONS
- DAS GRÄULICHE FESTMAHLPremiere 2019
- BETTLER*ETTE2020
- MAGNA MATERsince 2021
Enquiries to info@matthiaspfaender.de
PORTRAIT
Artist portraits and editorial portraits from Berlin. I photograph people with attitude for magazines, publishers, agencies and institutions.
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY THAT SHOWS ATTITUDE
A good portrait comes from attention. I take time for a conversation before the camera comes out. I look for the moment when someone stops performing and is simply there. My portraits are calm and direct. They show a face and a gaze, and invent nothing. I photograph in the studio or in natural light on location. The setting depends on the person and the assignment.
ARTIST PORTRAITS FOR EXHIBITION, PRESS AND CATALOGUE
Artist portraits require an understanding of the work and its surroundings. I photograph in the artist's studio or in my own. The exhibition can also be the right place. Work, material and space flow into the picture. The focus stays on the person, not the work. The pictures work for invitations and catalogues, and are just as suitable for press material, websites and magazines.
WORKING WITH MAGAZINES AND AGENCIES
I work with editorial teams and agencies from the first idea to the final image selection. Art directors and picture editors are involved from the start. I deliver reliably, and the files are ready for print and online.
HOW I WORK
- Briefing and concept together with editorial team or agency
- Preparation of location, light and schedule
- Shoot in the studio or on location
- Selection and retouching in the look you want
- Delivery for print and online
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where do you photograph portraits? In Berlin. Elsewhere on request.
Who do you work for? For magazines and publishers. Equally for agencies, galleries, artists and companies.
How does an enquiry work? Send me a short description of the project and the time frame, and I'll get back to you with a proposal.
SELECTED PORTRAITS
- PORTRAITSongoing
Enquiries to info@matthiaspfaender.de
DOCUMENTARY
Branded Documentary. Documentary photography and advertising campaigns in real use.
WHAT BRANDED DOCUMENTARY MEANS
Branded documentary means showing a brand as it really operates. I spend extended time with people and products. The result is a series of pictures that tell stories instead of advertising. They show real situations and real faces.
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS IN DOCUMENTARY STYLE
Advertising campaigns can also be done in a documentary style. I photograph an outdoor brand where its products are actually used, out in nature and in whatever weather it brings. A watch is photographed on someone really wearing it. The pictures are credible because they are not staged. Seeing a product in use shows what it can do. The images can be cropped for ads, websites and social media.
PROXIMITY AND TIME AS METHOD
In my personal work such as NICE HOME in Shanghai or THE KIDS WE USED TO BE I have learned that documentary pictures need closeness and trust. I hold back and stay long enough. Then I wait for the moment that needs no explanation. I bring this approach to my work with brands.
FOR WHICH PROJECTS
- Campaigns for outdoor, sport and watch brands, shot in real use
- Project coverage and picture series for brands and teams
- Reportage for magazines and corporate publishing
- Visual content for websites and social media
- Long-term documentation of places and processes
HOW I WORK
It starts with a conversation about the brand and what we want to show. Then I plan the days on location and follow the day-to-day work. We select the pictures together. The result is a series that works as a whole.
Enquiries to info@matthiaspfaender.de
CONCEPTUAL
Conceptual photography and contemporary art. Work about what an image still carries once its content has been removed, overwritten or generated.
PERSONAL WORK BETWEEN PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGE CRITIQUE
My personal work asks what is left of an image when its content is removed, overwritten, or approached so closely that it falls apart. It grew out of my bachelor thesis DRIFT at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and has kept growing in new bodies of work since. I am interested in what opens up in images when you get past the surface and read between the lines.
FOR EXHIBITION AND SPACE
The works are conceived for the exhibition space. They can be shown as prints on paper, printed directly on brushed aluminium or mounted behind acrylic glass, and they enter into dialogue with one another in the room. Two photobooks have been published as artist's editions. One work was shown in the group exhibition PEOPLE / SQUARE at Kunsthalle Bielefeld.
FOR GALLERIES, CURATORS AND INSTITUTIONS
I welcome enquiries about exhibitions, residencies, group shows, acquisitions and publications. For each body of work I am happy to send a detailed portfolio with details on formats, editions and production.
BODIES OF WORK
- AD CREEP2015
- LANDMARKS2017 – ongoing
- DRIFT2017/18
- DIE VÖGEL SINGEN NICHT MEHR2018 – ongoing
- IM STILLEN IST ES HELL2019
Enquiries to info@matthiaspfaender.de
PUBLICATIONS
