Night Photography nominee

It started with objects being photographed in perfect darkness at »inhospitable« places. Based on this idea we developed our project »Lost Cars« which combines Uwe Sülflohn’s lighting technology and light painting with the special look of Theodor Barth’s automotive photography. By accentuated lighting with various flashlights being used as »light brushes« on the long and multiple exposures, we want to reduce photography even in times of Photoshop and Instagram to its original idea: the painting with light. With this technique of using mobile sources of light we have found a way to stage the often laboriously tracked down vehicles in a dramatic fashion, letting details come into sight – intending to bring these wrecks of »Human´s best friend« back to life for a brief sentimental moment.
The results are night scenes like film stills. Unlike that in numerous circulating photographs of related subjects, the strange atmosphere in our photographs is not a product of effects such as HDR, but of reflections from artificial light mingling the materials and surfaces of the encountered cars and places. The photographs are all unique, old school in their design, absolutely handmade and almost completely done on location in Sweden, Germany and France.

Uwe Sülflohn & Theodor Barth

Uwe Sülflohn
http://www.uwe-suelflohn.de
info@uwe-suelflohn.de
Born 1964 in Bonn (Germany)
1985 - 1994: Lighting technician/film studio
1987 - 1993: Studies of Photography & Communication design, FH Bielefeld/Germany
1993 - 1999: Photo editor, Art with photography, Museum of Industry
since 2000: Freelance Photographer (industry, architecture, portrait, corporate pictures for companies)
2019 Photobook »LOST CARS« with photographer Theodor Barth (Cologne)
2020 Motorworld Photobook Award: Special Award for »LOST CARS«
2021 11. ICMA Design Award (Award of Excellence / category Photo Books) for »LOST CARS«

Theodor Barth
http://theodorbarth.de
mail@theodorbarth.de
Born 1964 near Hildesheim (Germany)
1987 - 1994: Studies of Photography & Communication design, FH Bielefeld/Germany
1994 – 2007: Freelance Photographer (Agency Zeitenspiegel, Stuttgart/Germany)
since 2007: Freelance Photographer (Agency laif, Cologne/Germany)
Published work in many different national & international magazines and books, various awards, scholarships & exhibition attendances such as »elf uhr elf« (laif Galery, 2014), »Auf der Kohle« (Vonovia Award 2019: 3. Best Series)
2019 Photobook »LOST CARS« with photographer Uwe Sülflohn
2020 Motorworld Photobook Award: Special Award for »LOST CARS«
2021 11. ICMA Design Award (Award of Excellence / category Photo Books) for »LOST CARS«