Stockland Martel

Communication Arts published an interview with Jan Steinhilber in December 2009 that describes the German photographer thusly:

“Photographer Jan Steinhilber studied graphic design with the ambition to become an art director—and accidentally discovered photography during the studies. He got deeper into it by working as an assistant for different photographers and finally decided to make his way as a freelance photographer. He established his own studio in 2000 and since then has worked with great enthusiasm for numerous clients, magazines and ad agencies—and whenever possible he works on personal projects to develop his skills and bring his own ideas to life. His awards include the German Art Directors Club, British AOP, PDN, Graphis, and Communication Arts.”

What could we possibly add to the above? That Jan is bracingly clear about what he’s trying to say with each image, a process that generally involves a great deal of sketching that he refers to as “layouts.” (His clients include all the major car companies—Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, etc.—and his skill with conceptual still lifes has drawn commissions from Nike, Trident, Smirnoff, and others.) He’s driven by the goal that all photographers have, which is to make a photograph that has an unmistakable impact. The difference with Jan is that he knows how to get there.

“I try to understand the idea of the image, or even make up an idea if it is personal work,” he once told online magazine The F STOP. “I judge everything I do by asking me whether this helps the idea or not.”

Here’s a look at Jan’s work:

.

.

To see more of Jan’s work, visit stocklandmartel.com/talent/jan-steinhilber/photography or steinhilber.biz.

.

.