This is a series of blog posts dedicated to great photographers that are also contributing on Lobster. Read about the brilliant minds behind the camera, how photography mingles with their life and the stories behind their best shots.

Who is  Matthias Ripp?

I started taking pictures while I was in high school, where I took a course in photography, at that time the analogue way with film, processing and development in the darkroom, etc. During my 20s I kept shooting but still without understanding composition, the role of light and other basic rules. In my 30s other entities in life became more important, most notably my family, so I lost a little bit the connection. It was linked very much to my other big passion, traveling, that I rediscovered photography during a backpacking trip to Vietnam some five years ago. New digital cameras with a fixed prime lens and good resolution like the Fuji X-100 opened my eyes and were such a joy to use. During the last years I experimented with different systems and now ended up with a Leica M10. Gear is, of course, second to the eye.

My way of photography is usually very spontaneous and develops from the scene, setting and light. One of my objectives is to trigger feelings and emotions through my pictures.  I really love to wander around cities at night with my camera and explore them. This gives me the flow and helps me to relax from my day-job.

The stories behind the best photos

1. Tokyo

See photo here

A real magic moment when on the Skytree Tower in Tokyo the sky cleared from the clouds and the sun went down behind Mount Fuji.

2. Brussels

See photo here

One of my personal challenges is to produce unusual shots of buildings or places that have been photographed millions of times. Here at the Grand Place in Brussels.

3. Bangkok

See photo here

The urban fabric at night, like here in Bangkok, is my favorite playground with the camera.

4. Shanghai

See photo here

With photography, I learned to appreciate “bad” weather like here in Shanghai because it adds different layers of light and reflections.

5. Bokeh

See photo here

Bokeh is something that fascinates me because it can be used to deconstruct the reality so that the mind has to reinterpret it from abstract shapes and light.

6. Berlin

See photo here 

I am also doing a lot of black and white (this time in Berlin) because I really like how it reduces our perception and brings us to focus on structures, form and textures.

7. Thailand

See photo here 

Favourite food for thought

”Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all,  know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.” – George Eastman

To say Thank You, we’ve created a unique collection of Matthias work – Take a look.

Other featured photographers in the series: 

Daniel Zapata, the world explorer,  Reinier and his love for the travel, Lukas around the globe, Krisztian’s fashion photography, Victor and his passion for drone photography and others.