Many people ask if these are paintings
Is it a photograph or a painting? The answer to that question is yes.
Photography means painting with light and that is exactly what I do.
When the objects in the picture are arranged, I turn off the light and open the camera.
If the film or sensor is not hit by light, there is no image. Now I can start painting with a small flashlight, I move the light on a part of the picture. This way I can adapt the light to the shape, I can illuminate details and with the help of trailing light I reveal every fiber, every scar.
Then I close the camera, take a break and illuminate the next detail. When I'm done, I have about 30-40 images of that setup. While I'm working, I can't move anything, everything has to be completely still, otherwise I have to start over.
From all the exposures, I select 20-30 which are then layered on top of each other in the computer (Photoshop). Using a digital pen, I "paint" each layer in the image. An image takes about 40 hours to produce. But the longest time probably takes the idea work and collecting the things I need.
Am I alone in this?
The answer is no, Aaron Jones is probably considered the "father" of a technique that can be compared to the one I use. The difference is that he worked with film and thus the result was not as controllable. I have been apprenticed to Harold Ross, he is considered the best in the world today, his images are absolutely magical. We probably have very few who use the technique as it is time-consuming and requires great accuracy. Even when we work digitally, it is difficult to keep track of whether you have included everything and it is often the case that the image has to be redone. But for me, each image is much more than an image, I see human traces in old worn-out gadgets and I love being surreal with the technique.