About Me
"Photography is a way of life" (Henri Cartier-Bresson)
I am a photographer, photography curator, and the author of numerous books and articles on this medium. My passion for photography has been with me since I was 16 years old – and continues to shape my work today.
Inspiration
A pivotal moment was Michelangelo Antonioni's film "Blow-Up" (1966). It's fascinating how the film explores photography’s investigative potential and raises questions about reality and illusion, the original and the reproduction. This perspective has had a lasting impact on me.
Early years
As a schoolboy and student in the early nineteen-seventies, I witnessed a period of social upheaval – and documented it with my camera. At first I worked for school and student newspapers, later as a freelance contributor to the magazine Konkret and other publications.
Studies and career path
My studies in Hamburg included history, art history, and photography – a foundation for my later work as head of the Department of Cultural Affairs and as director of the Schleswig City Museum. There, I was able to establish photography as a central focus of the exhibition program and to strengthen the museum’s national and international profile.
Professional experience
As part of these projects, I collaborated with leading photographers, photo agencies, media companies, and camera manufacturers – including Sebastião Salgado, Robert Lebeck, Steve McCurry, Ragnar Axelsson, David Doubilet, Art Wolfe, Magnum Photos, National Geographic, GEO, Leica and Nikon.
I share my expertise in blog posts, which are available free of charge.
Currently, I advise the Nord-Ostsee Sparkasse as Curator of Photography.
Current projects
In addition to my curatorial and publishing work, I pursue my own photographic projects, with a focus on photojournalistic subjects. My work has been – and continues to be – featured in numerous publications, as well as in solo and group exhibitions.
Fascination Infrared
Alongside “classic” photography, I am drawn to black‑and‑white digital infrared photography. As an artistic medium, it opens up new ways of seeing – from analytical clarity to magical realism.
Sebastião Salgado once put it aptly: “Reality is colorful; truth is black and white."
Contact
Holger Rüdel DGPh
Mühlenweg 3 a
24884 Selk
Germany
Phone: + 49 4621 200858
Fax: + 49 4621 200859
Email: photo@holger-ruedel.de
Collections
Works by Holger Rüdel can be found in private and public collections, including:
- City of Schleswig
- Schleswig City Museum
- Sparkassenstiftung Schleswig-Holstein
- Haus der Geschichte Foundation (Federal Republic of Germany)
- Ministry of the Environment of Schleswig-Holstein
Additional information about Holger Rüdel can be found on Wikipedia.