Sascha Hüttenhain

Canon Ambassador Sascha Hüttenhain's spare, elegant and engaging photographic style has brought him a hugely successful career and dozens of commercial and editorial clients. These include internationally established brands, men's lifestyle magazines and national newspapers.

He has studios in the German cities of Siegen and Frankfurt and his diverse portfolio includes advertising, fashion, portraiture, lifestyle, dance and nudes. Whatever the genre, Sascha's work always combines visual creativity and flair with attention to detail and technical precision.

"I mentally prepare for my shoots over a long period of time, so the ideas mature in my head and are later implemented in the project," he says. "You have to be spontaneous, of course, but I like to have a concept that I've come up with before the shoot. That makes my work smoother and more effective.

"Every shoot is a new challenge and the biggest challenges are mostly productions that take place on location. There you cannot estimate the weather and the conditions as clearly as in a studio production. More spontaneous work is often the order of the day."

Sascha has no particular favourite genre to work in, and says much depends on the project, the customer or the purpose of a particular shoot. His preferred assignments, however, are those that allow him the most artistic and creative freedom.

When asked about the most important lesson he has learned about running a photography business, he replies: "You need to have time. Photography has to grow and is not created straight away. Photographers usually develop their own style over the years and it is important to make mistakes and learn from them. But in the long run, you will increase your level of ability and progress."

Do you prefer to work in the studio or outdoors?
"I like both. In my studio I have a lot of space and great opportunities, but it's always great to do your work on location. Of course, the background plays a bigger role here and must be included."

What are the main skills you need for your kind of work?
"As a photographer, you don't just have to take pictures. It is important that you get on well with people and instruct them. This is also a lot of fun for me and it's a new challenge every time."

Are you more drawn to the artistic or technical side of photography?
"I see myself more on the artistic side, but the technology also inspires me. A camera is a fantastic tool and you can do great things with it."

Which other photographers have you found inspirational?
"I don't have any direct role models. I find a lot of inspiration in normal life or by chance. I derive many of my photo projects in this way, and these ideas often mature over a long period of time before I implement them."

How much post-production work do you do on your images?
"I try to do most of the work in-camera. Every photo goes through a certain amount of post-processing, but I avoid montages or excessive interventions. For me, the camera is the route to success, not Photoshop. I look at Photoshop as a tool for optimising images, but don't use it to create my pictures."

"A photographer's ultimate goal should be to find their own signature style. To achieve that, it is important that you do your own, self-assigned work, in order to constantly challenge your creativity and tackle things that you would otherwise not be able to do in your normal work."

Website: www.huettenhain.com