The man has his own handwriting, seen photographically. Fashion and portrait shots by Vincent Peters are often recognizable at first glance. I have appreciated his work for a while. So I was especially pleased when I had the opportunity to visit his current exhibition in the gallery CAMERA WORK during a stay in Berlin.

Born in Bremen, Germany, in 1969 Vincent Peters moved to New York City at the age of twenty to work as a photographer's  assistant. After becoming a photographer himself a few years later he shot worldwide campaigns for brands such as Yves Saint  Laurent and Wolfgang Joop. He worked with fashion houses like Dior, Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Emporio  Armani,  and L’Oréal.  His photographs appear mostly as editorials in international  magazines such as Vogue and GQ. But for me his free artistic work is especially interesting.

Peters describes himself as a one trick pony, which means he can only take pictures. As you can see in the current exhibition, with success. In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung this month, he explained that he makes some extra shots without his team after shootings, just for him and the model. He could then work much freer. Most photos of the exhibition were created in this way.

Besides the depiction of the woman, all works have something in  common: they show the importance of using light in photography  as a precondition for high quality artworks. The skillful handling with light proves to be meaningful for Vincent Peters' style. Incidences of light emphasize the female body in a subtle  but focused way. The setting and costumes are integrated in a  visual arrangement with light and  shadow, which creates a  silent, romantical mood. In his photo sessions, he does not give too many instructions to the models and lets them act largely independently. Maybe this creates the relaxed and trusting atmosphere between model and photographer in his photos. I also notice the timelessness of the pictures.

Conclusion: I mean, it's a great exhibit for friends of portrait and nude art photography who love a classic, timeless style in black and white. Therefore, I really enjoyed the visit to the exhibition.

The gallery CAMERA  WORK  was founded in 1997 in Berlin, has become one of  the leading galleries for photography, and represents both classic photographers and contemporary artists.

Exhibition:
Gallery CAMERA WORK 4, Kantstrasse 149, 10623 Berlin, Germany www.camerawork.de, Exhibition until 20th May 2018 (please check)

See also my two cents regarding an other current exhibition in Berlin:  Irving Penn Centennial at C/O Berlin Foundation.