Blue Peppermint Heaven

Hi, I am Christine, a photographer and creative girl with a passion for motorbikes and vintage cars based in Frankfurt, Germany. About five years ago, I was inspired to start photography as a creative outlet for my rather technical nine-to-five job. What started as a hobby has turned into a freelance business. Besides motorcycle and car shoots, I enjoy doing portraits and weddings.

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Furthermore, photography as a hobby and outlet, there is nothing more wonderful for me than travelling to fill and cleanse my soul. I just love to travel and explore new places. During my travels to Japan over the past five years, I have come to love Japanese culture and food. It has quickly become my favorite cuisine! Also, I enjoy cooking Japanese food and am eager to try new recipes. 

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When I am not out shooting or conceiving vivid daydreams about the blue peppermint heaven of Tokyo, sports or coffee is what takes my mind of things. Spending time outside strolling or riding my gravel bike through the woods is what really helps me relax. Alternatively, just sitting in a coffee shop and watching the world go by is another of my favorite pastimes. It is my guilty pleasure. 

I do like dancing and electronic music, but at the moment it is a bit hard to experience that due to the pandemic. Hopefully, we can go out drinking and partying in a few months and enjoy ourselves like before.

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Well, getting back to what is possible and what I do most of the time nowadays – photography. Even though I now own fine cameras and lenses, I actually started out with my trusty iPhone. My first images were shot in black and white and edited on a first-gen iPad.

During a vacation on the Atlantic coast in France and the most beautiful rich colors in the Basque Country, the blue of the sea, the green of the vast meadows, the glittering beige of the sand… this feeling of lightness changed my perception of my surroundings. Even if that may sound a bit strange, but it certainly changed my style of photography permanently! 

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Since that time, I have not shot a black and white picture at all! My second camera was a Sony A7, paired with my Zeiss 50mm it gave the images an amazing and unique look. I started getting serious about photography in 2016, starting with weddings and progressing to different styles, like lifestyle to classic cars and motorcycles.

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As I have mentioned earlier, photography is a great, great pastime for me. The decision to become a professional came easy because more and more people reached out to me were inquiring about having their portrait taken or wanting me to document their wedding because they loved my style of taking pictures. So, for me, it was a kind of “natural progression” of getting slowly deeper into it.

Of course, being the car- and motorcycle enthusiast that I am, having been to a lot of petrol head events certainly did help! Classic cars, custom and old-school bikes were an interest of mine for a long time already.  I like it because every car and every bike is unique in its own way. It is something that is more of a feeling, you can not really put it into words.

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There is no particular way to photograph because every place, look and subject is different. I shoot my way, that is my style and carries my signature. For example, for me, location is key to get a great picture. I have seen so many pictures that were great, not because of the bike or classic car itself, but rather because of the well-chosen location that elevated the photo to the next level. Add to that a well-thought-out image composition, and it is always a joy to look at the image.

For a photo to be good, you just need a good eye and a spark of talent to create a harmonious image that captivates the viewer.

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Speaking of cars and motorcycles, taking their picture can be somewhat problematic from time to time. Shiny surfaces and chrome-coated parts can create reflections, which can really mess with the whole image. With bikes it is not such a huge problem, with cars, however, it is a whole different story. In that case, I use a polarizer for cars and carefully play with the light.

My current setup is the Fuji X-T3. It is my companion for digital photography, especially while travelling. Not only is it very pleasant to use, but also extremely lightweight. Also, my preferred lenses, the XF35mm F1.4 and XF56mm F1.2 are always in my camera bag. The 35mm lens has become my favorite lens because of the great look and the beautiful bokeh.

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The 56mm 1.2 I just love it, won’t miss it for my motorcycle shoots. The compression is brilliant, it never disappoints. I also enjoy shooting film lenses with characters, such as the old Nikon 50mm 1.4 AI-S. For film, my Canon EOS 300 with a 50 1.8 mm lens is my go-to film camera, it works flawlessly.

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I choose Fuji because I enjoy the look of the Fuji colors especially. Plus, it is easy to use and the weight of the whole package makes it great for everyday use. I appreciate how light it is when I travel and carry the camera with me all day. The disadvantage may be that is APSC… but it still works great, and I am happy with it. The 56mm 1.2, for me, it is a magical lens, one of Fuji’s finest lenses and my personal favorite!

Software-wise, Adobe Lightroom is my go-to tool. Mainly because I have gotten so used to the workflow. It fits my needs perfectly and allows me to get the most out of the images. To my delight and that of my clients! I also use Photo Mechanic for culling at big events where I shoot tons and tons of pictures.

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