VITA
Everything started in his hometown, Frankfurt am Main, where Marc Trautmann was born in 1965. At 14, he got a camera donated, a Canon AE-1. He got on his bike and photographed the nocturnal Frankfurt. Since he wanted to know more about photography, he went to the photo-AG of his school. "As a young BMXler, I wanted to hold on to my world." Even then Marc Trautmann wanted more. So an old factory hall became a photo-location and the friends on their own, brought clothes to models.
"This was the first time I got from taking a picture to making a picture," the photographer recalls. "That's the most basic distinction in how you work in photography, and I wanted to portray the world as I liked it."
For Marc Trautmann, this was the first step towards "taking pictures" and not just taking pictures. Very early on, he opened a door to professional photography. Today he is one of the most sought-after photographers in the world. Nevertheless, he remained true to his birthplace Frankfurt am Main until today.
This is his base when traveling the world for his customers.
After first professional experience as an assistant to Wolfgang Arnhold, Stephan Jouhoff and Jan Michael, he moved to Mexico and Guatemala. In 1990 he went to New York and participated in the photo workshop "Photo 90". This was followed by two years of assistant to Stephan Jouhoff and Annie Leibowitz. Then it went to Southeast Asia - again plunge into a completely different world than the native Frankfurt.
Since 1993 Marc Trautmann works as a freelance photographer with a focus on automobiles and people. His customers are, in addition to the big car brands such as Aston Martin, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen or Toyota - to name but a few - even large agencies such as Scholz & Friends, Springer & Jacoby or Wunderman.
Marc Trautmann himself describes his imagery "as something composed, graphics." It is more of a design than a superficial emotional one. "When in doubt I tend to take a step back to get more of a graphics setting. People are always part of the whole picture. " He used to get his inspiration for his photos via fashion magazines, but for Marc Trautmann, these are primarily films. For him, it is less important whether they are celebrated by the critics. His view is much more on the style, the image composition. "Even if the plot was weak, but the pictures are good, then it would be a good movie for me." So then, inevitably, another portfolio for the photographer was added - the moving picture. In recent years, several videos and commercials, which the photographer Marc Trautmann as a cameraman realized.
Another tool of his photographic work is CGI for Marc Trautmann. With this, he can create picture worlds. "With CGI you can bring things together in the picture that are difficult to bring together in reality."
With all these facets, photographing for Marc Trautmann today is much more than delivering a good picture. "The photographer becomes a director, a director."
CV
1986-1989 Assistant of Wolfgang Arnhold, Stephan Jouhoff and Jan Michael
1989-1990 Journeys to Mexico and Guatemala
1990 Course "Photo´90" in N.Y.C.
1991-1992 Assistant to Stephan Jouhoff
1992 Assistant to Annie Leibowitz
Journey to South-East Asia
Since 1993 Freelance photographer with a focus on automotive and people
Everything started in his hometown, Frankfurt am Main, where Marc Trautmann was born in 1965. At 14, he got a camera donated, a Canon AE-1. He got on his bike and photographed the nocturnal Frankfurt. Since he wanted to know more about photography, he went to the photo-AG of his school. "As a young BMXler, I wanted to hold on to my world." Even then Marc Trautmann wanted more. So an old factory hall became a photo-location and the friends on their own, brought clothes to models.
"This was the first time I got from taking a picture to making a picture," the photographer recalls. "That's the most basic distinction in how you work in photography, and I wanted to portray the world as I liked it."
For Marc Trautmann, this was the first step towards "taking pictures" and not just taking pictures. Very early on, he opened a door to professional photography. Today he is one of the most sought-after photographers in the world. Nevertheless, he remained true to his birthplace Frankfurt am Main until today.
This is his base when traveling the world for his customers.
After first professional experience as an assistant to Wolfgang Arnhold, Stephan Jouhoff and Jan Michael, he moved to Mexico and Guatemala. In 1990 he went to New York and participated in the photo workshop "Photo 90". This was followed by two years of assistant to Stephan Jouhoff and Annie Leibowitz. Then it went to Southeast Asia - again plunge into a completely different world than the native Frankfurt.
Since 1993 Marc Trautmann works as a freelance photographer with a focus on automobiles and people. His customers are, in addition to the big car brands such as Aston Martin, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen or Toyota - to name but a few - even large agencies such as Scholz & Friends, Springer & Jacoby or Wunderman.
Marc Trautmann himself describes his imagery "as something composed, graphics." It is more of a design than a superficial emotional one. "When in doubt I tend to take a step back to get more of a graphics setting. People are always part of the whole picture. " He used to get his inspiration for his photos via fashion magazines, but for Marc Trautmann, these are primarily films. For him, it is less important whether they are celebrated by the critics. His view is much more on the style, the image composition. "Even if the plot was weak, but the pictures are good, then it would be a good movie for me." So then, inevitably, another portfolio for the photographer was added - the moving picture. In recent years, several videos and commercials, which the photographer Marc Trautmann as a cameraman realized.
Another tool of his photographic work is CGI for Marc Trautmann. With this, he can create picture worlds. "With CGI you can bring things together in the picture that are difficult to bring together in reality."
With all these facets, photographing for Marc Trautmann today is much more than delivering a good picture. "The photographer becomes a director, a director."
CV
1986-1989 Assistant of Wolfgang Arnhold, Stephan Jouhoff and Jan Michael
1989-1990 Journeys to Mexico and Guatemala
1990 Course "Photo´90" in N.Y.C.
1991-1992 Assistant to Stephan Jouhoff
1992 Assistant to Annie Leibowitz
Journey to South-East Asia
Since 1993 Freelance photographer with a focus on automotive and people