Hello Tristan, it's great that you're taking the time and have agreed to share with me about your photographic work. Your images can currently be found mainly on Instagram (@gelsenfoto), and they delve deeply into your hometown of Gelsenkirchen. How would you describe your pictures?

Hi Sebastian! I'm really excited about the opportunity to talk about my photographic work and your interest in it. I would describe my photos as a melancholic yet always benevolent perspective on my hometown.

We live here in the poorest city in Germany, with numerous and profound problems that are evident in the urban landscape. I try to counteract the pessimism and negative perception of the city and the region that is inevitably generated on a creative level through my photos. Of course, my photos won't change the often depressing local reality for many. Nevertheless, it's an attempt to show that even here, one can experience moments of beauty, even if it's just a sunset that happens to cast a lovely light on a rundown building. It's often not what the majority would label as aesthetic, but that's exactly what appeals to me in my photographic work and in exploring the city. Anyone can photograph the Cologne Cathedral.