The Photographer

Uwe Beutnagel-Buchner started with photography in the early nineteen eighties in Hannover, Germany. Black-and-White landscapes and portraits have been his favorite subjects. At this time, work commitments and obligations restricted his ability to further proceed and intensify photography.

After a long break, he discovered again photography for himself in 2010. Sophisticated digital workflow possibilities combined with puristic photography enriched his fascination.
For several years, he focused on working with digital cameras, enhancing his digital photography techniques with software based editing processes and improving inkjet printing outcomes. His profession as camera development engineer for driver assistance systems within the automotive industry refined his auto-didactic training and validation processes.
Meanwhile, Uwe challenges perfection of digital photography up to the level of excellence into the final stage of calibrated print processes. He finishes framed Gallery quality photographs by himself in his private studio. Recently, he took up again his favorites of the early years, landscapes, expanding into the world of flora with a tendency towards abstraction.

Questioning "Why Black-and-White?", Uwe elucidates:
"Black-and-White is the advent of color reduction into abstraction of human perception. It touches very well my sensation of photographic expression, my concentration on the essentials - a way to show my wish to expression. Often, I perceive colors rather distracting than complementary. On purpose, I take photographs sometimes in color if motifs appear almost monochromatic. However, regardless of color or Black-and-White, a high degree of naturalism preserved correspond to my personal approach and interpretation of the motifs, even in the presence of certain abstractism".

Currently, Uwe Beutnagel-Buchner lives in Stuttgart, Germany. Photographic shots are predominantly taken in the South of Germany, on trips in Europe as well as during his visits of picturesque regions in North America. Presenting latest creations, Uwe intends to bring his work closer to a wider circle of audience looking for constructive feedback.

The Photographs
The portfolio of pictures were taken with digitals cameras. A majority of shots were done with a camera system in direct monochrome image data mode, without a RGB color filter array (CFA) on top of the image sensor. It enables the control of converting colors to gray values by using color filters on the lens, likewise used with traditional "analog cameras" and Black-and-White films.
All image data are captured in RAW format and further processed with a computer based application. Software processing comprises techniques known from traditional photochemical development procedures: contrast adjustment, global and local brightness adjustment (dodging, burning), sharpening and retouching. In a final step, the pictures are processed for printing, selecting print size, paper quality and the printer.