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ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER Daniel Zielske was born in
Magical realism Daniel Zielske creates urban and architectural photos, boasting epic radiance. Never leaving image display to chance, he relies on the expertise of WhiteWall, the world’s leading photo lab, for gallery-quality prints
1972. He started working with his father, Horst, on applied photography in 1993, the pair focusing on landscape and
architecture. In 1999, they began to explore artistic photography, producing nearly 30 published books and several photo essays for national and international magazines. Their photographs appear in private and public collections, distributed independently and through the Lumas gallery. Since 2018, Daniel has run the studio under the name H&D Zielske. This year, he has become a WhiteWall ambassador. zielske-photographie.de
FAMILY AFFAIR Following his father’s lead, Daniel Zielske captures stunning urban landscapes and architecture
“I prefer normal lenses that mirror the human perspective more closely. But I sometimes use a short telephoto lens. This allows me to focus on the most important details,” says Daniel, greatly appreciating the slower pace that his workflow involves – often resulting in just one image per day. Many of his photographs are taken from a central perspective. “The aim is to create images with absolute harmony and symmetry. This works perfectly with prints set behind acrylic glass, produced by WhiteWall. When you stand in front of the image, you’re almost literally drawn in.” Critics refer to this aspect of his photography as ‘magical realism’. Whenever the leading photo lab, based in Frechen, near Cologne, becomes the topic of conversation, the photographer starts to rave about it. “We’ve worked with a number of labs across our careers. We found WhiteWall just over ten years ago – and stayed,” enthuses Daniel. The reason is clear. “WhiteWall is the leader in terms
view cameras, useful for correcting converging lines by adjusting the standards. He combines his Alpa 12 Max – a high-end Swiss model developed for architectural photography – with extremely powerful lenses from Rodenstock. Meanwhile, image recording is handled by the 150-megapixel resolution PhaseOne IQ4 digital back. “It’s not all about the high resolution, because the impact our images have is largely down to their size,” explains Daniel. The prints produced for his customers in the WhiteWall premium lab often reach widths of up to 2.5m. A number of factors contribute to Daniel’s distinctive images. The father-son duo have always enjoyed photography in adverse weather conditions. A mix of fog, rain and snow, alongside muted colours and 20-minute exposure times, forms ‘wistful images’ that look strangely distant – almost surreal – despite their sharpness. Unlike many architectural photographers, Daniel rarely works with powerful wide-angle lenses.
DIFFERENT GENERATIONS COLLABORATING effectively is often an exception to the rule – but not necessarily for creatives. Daniel Zielske worked on photography with father, Horst, for a quarter of a century – always as equals; always as a creative exchange. “My father was a photographer, so I was born into the profession, establishing my career aspirations at an early age,” says Daniel. In the mid-nineties, the pair had the opportunity to create a photo book on German landscapes. “That was our first project together,” explains the now 48-year-old. Over the years, he’s conducted various photo essays for different magazines, as well as roughly 30 books on cities, including New York, Berlin, London and Shanghai. He also compiled Temples of Art, Cathedrals of Knowledge ( Tempel der Kunst, Kathedralen des Wissens ), a 336-page volume on Germany’s most important and impressive museums and libraries. Having run the photo studio on his own for a few years, Daniel works almost exclusively with film
of technology and expertise – and the quality of the prints is the best I have ever seen. WhiteWall also ensures that deliveries arrive on time and exactly as ordered.” That is hugely important for Daniel’s customers, who often order limited edition, ‘made-to-measure’ pieces. “Most of my pictures are mounted on aluminium Dibond, while my photo prints are set under acrylic glass,” says Daniel, citing his own preferences. “The 3D-image impression this creates is unparalleled. My all-time favourite product is the gallery frame with black shadow gap. It demonstrates an extremely elegant look, giving the illusion that the picture is floating in the real wood veneer frame.” In the beginning, he and his father made a few trips to Frechen to fine-tune things, together with the lab staff. Since then, WhiteWall has had the process under control. “We understand each other instinctively. In general, just one proof is enough. From that point on, I can sit back and relax – safe in the knowledge that everything will turn out great.”
About WhiteWall WhiteWall is the leading photo lab for high-quality photo prints, posters and canvases created to gallery standard. In 2020, the company – based in Frechen, near Cologne – received the prestigious TIPA World Award for Best Photo Lab. This was a third success, having also won the award in 2013 and 2017. WhiteWall serves more than 250,000 customers, including over 20,000 professional photographers, artists, gallery owners and collectors.
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24 Photography News | Issue 89
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