About
phantom.photz is my digital identity to present a collection of photographic ventures. in 2021, i picked up my long-forgotten camera as visual outlet to process grief and traumatic feelings but also to focus on moments of grace. i find it calming to hang out in the same spot for hours and just observe my surroundings. one of the first photographs i took was demon, an unintentionally eerie composition of a tree in yosemite national park, where for a quick moment the fog and rocks formed a skull looming into the image. this photo was an aptly representation of how death and sadness had infested my mind at the time and hence led me to start capturing feeling foggy as a first series. after more than 2 years of creating solely for myself, early in 2023 i felt motivated to share some of my images with others.
capturing moods to communicate feelings and exploring the range of imaging options drive my enthusiasm for photography. to visualize perspectives, i like to create photographic sets that evolve over years and are cohesive within each series, but are quite versatile among each other. to realize different projects, I am trying out various aesthetic techniques. personally, i don’t like to limit myself to a specific genre or medium and value a multifaceted, experimental approach of artistic pursuit more than building one recognizable style. With that being said, i hope to meet some homies with a similar mindset along the way.

transparency in photo editing
as much as I appreciate instant photo prints as original 1/1s that can’t be edited or replicated, I like to combine analog and digital techniques or achieve my creative vision through photo editing. image refinements, however, are always mentioned in a short description. feel free to contact me if you would like to know more details.

thoughts on ai
as of now, i am skeptical towards AI, given that all images generated are based on existing work which I somewhat consider as artistic incest. AI cannot generate true novelty and more importantly, cannot integrate human feelings, vulnerability, and imperfections into creation. i might feel different about this at some point.

current gear
to emphasize that photography does not require all the fancy accessories, i only use 2nd hand, vintage, budget or borrowed gear: polaroid 600 one step | instax mini 90 | canon eos 70d | canon ef 70-300mm f/4-5.6L is usm lens | canon ef 50mm f/1.8 stm standard lens | tokina  at-x 14-20mm f/2 pro dx | carl zeiss jena flektagon 35mm f/2.8 zebra m42 | tamron sp af 1.4x teleconverter | canon vixia rf400 | holga 120n | 110 micro camera

virtual space representation
photographic images in the twenty-first century proliferate and multiply online. while programming my website i started to post some photos on virtual platforms but i have a hard time finding motivation to log in at all. genuine spaces for people sharing an interest are becoming rare, and are buried somewhere in between endless floods of promotional content. To protect privacy and take a position against elitism that favors social connections over merit and visions in any field, i only put photographic work out there but not my person.
for everyone frankly interested in keeping up WITH new visual APPROACHES: please consider visiting my website from time to time, i prefer uploading new work here and do not spend time on online networks regularly.