We have published more than one Editor's Choice shot by Rolf Hermann - the latest being earlier this year about a shooting with Sarah Stamm (read here). While having reported about many of his shootings, we have never actually featured him as a photographer, so we thought it was high time to not only present his work but also the man behind the work. 
So in this article, we proudly present German photographer Rolf Herman. 

Rolf, please tell us a little bit about yourself to begin with. How old are you? Where were you born and where do you live now? What is your profession and do you have other besides photography?
 My name is Rolf Hermann Abramowski from RH-Pictures. I am 63 years young and born in Aerzen, Germany. For a few years now however, I have been living in Papenburg and been pursuing my career as photographer at my company "RH-Pictures".

Could you share with us how you first became interested in photography?
Photography has been a hobby for me for a very long time, but for a few years now, it has become more of a passion. I retired in April of 2020 and am finally free to do what I love – which definitely counts in photography – now more than ever! 

I started working as a photographer several years ago. It started when I was asked by friends if I could take a photo of them. That then developed pretty quickly and so it is no wonder that I now have over 300 TfP (TfP=Time for Pictues) model association agreements in the archive.

Seeing your remarkable work, I am curious where your creativity comes from?
Oh well…my creativity – where does it come from? I've always had a lot of imagination and could implement ideas pretty well. I see that again and again when I shoot other topics such as fairytale or fantasy. Ultimately, I never seem to run out of ideas.

Since I mainly do people photography, for me that means depicting people in appealing photos and to this way create and keep memories. In the course of time, I have concentrated more or less on street style and street fashion and have already welcomed a great many models in front of my camera.
 
I also enjoy working with complete beginners and I really enjoy following their development and sharing their small and large successes. The vast majority of my models are female. That is partly because I haven't discovered so many male models who meet my expectations.
 
I have been working with some models for a long time - a perfect example of this is my top model Jasmin Koch. I have been successfully shooting with her for five years and she has already made it into Streetfashion MagZZine several times, which makes us both very proud.

Jasmin Koch for RH-Pictures

What equipment are you using now and with what did you get started?
I used to start with a normal digital camera ... then I switched from time to time to e.g. a Fuji, which I don't even remember the name of. I then switched to Sony and currently still enjoy working with the Sony SLT-A58. I like the YN560 II clip-on flash and my favorite lenses are currently the Sony DT 1.8 / 50 SAM, the Minolta 1.5 / 4.9ft Macro and the Tamron 1: 3.5 Macro.
 
Do you see a particular influence, be it a photographer or school on your work?
So ... nobody really influenced my work. I've tried to develop something like my own style over time. My favourite motifs are clearly my models, both my regular models, but also like new faces every now and then. On the one hand, I'm very often contacted via Facebook and Instagram, but I also like to look for interesting women myself who I think match my style. But also e.g. while shopping in the city, I've already discovered one or the other and spoken to them and I've never received a "no". 

What would you tell a newcomer who asks for your advice on how to start?
 
I would always give a newcomer the advice: take as many photos as you can. You have to keep trying, experimenting. Get to know your camera. It doesn't always depend on the golden rules of photography, because those who stick to them all their life have no imagination ;-)
 
Tell us your funniest or most awkward photography story.
 
Now I've been wondering whether I have a particularly funny shooting story ready ... well, actually not. My shootings are always fun and have a pleasant atmosphere. I want my models to feel comfortable with me and during the shoot - and so far I've always succeeded. This includes e.g. also that after the shoot you like to sit down in the cafe together ... do a little "debriefing" and taking pleasure in having had a successful day together again.

What would you say characterises your work in comparison to other photographers?
I can't say for myself what makes my work stand out compared to other photographers - because that would be a purely subjective assessment. However, I seem e.g. to do a lot right when dealing with my models - after all, everyone loves coming back to me.
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A good picture for me means that it immediately captivates the viewer somehow and he takes the time to look at the picture for a little longer and to "discover" it.

​Among your works, which is your favourite and why?
 
When it comes to “favorite photos” - I have so many! However, I always like to think back to one of the first shootings with my Jasmin, who I talked about earlier in this interview. The shooting was in February 2016 in my former studio, and Jasmin was only 16 years old at the time. Of course, her mom Claudia was there too and we even had coffe in cake in the studio during the breaks. We took a very nice series of photos, with Jasmin already looking very mature, graceful and yes, sexy too. But as I said, that was just one of many highlights that I was able to experience.

At the moment I'm doing a lot of shootings again, especially with new faces and one or the other young lady surprised me more than pleasantly - this undoubtedly includes my new model Sarah Stamm. But I'm sure - in the course of time there will be a lot more new ones. I just love my job !!!