Category: Personal Work

The Spontaneous Subject: A Portrait of Wolfgang W. Sohn
The Spontaneous Subject: A Portrait of Wolfgang W. Sohn
20 January 2026

Sometimes the best shots happen when the gear is being packed away.

For a Canon masterclass in ballet photography I was recently at Wolfgang W. Sohn’s popup photography gallery The Sixty in Düsseldorf. He hosted the workshop with photographer Sascha Hüttenhain and dancer Daria Stratovych and as things were winding down, I noticed a unique perspective: by turning away from the main backdrop, I could capture the model and the gallery space together through reflections in the large mirrors.

I asked Wolfgang if he’d step into the frame to anchor the composition. He agreed instantly, and his effortless style provided a perfect focal point for the shot, creating a striking juxtaposition against the grace of the dancer. This portrait is the result of a spontaneous “yes” from a visionary with an impressive career in photography. While I focused on the reflections, I was photographing a man who has a reputation for producing “soul-gazing” images, exploring the authentic, emotional core of the subject. It was a brief but beautiful moment of creative crossover for which I am very grateful.

A portrait of photo artist Wolfgang W. Sohn in 'The Sixty' gallery, Düsseldorf, featuring reflections of a ballet dancer in the background. [Copyright Jan Söhlke]

Wolfgang W. Sohn is a central figure in the German art scene, known as both a photo artist and a cultural entrepreneur. Based between Düsseldorf and Mallorca, his style is defined by a deeply personal and philanthropic approach to portraiture and street photography. Beyond his own camera work, he is the founder and director of the PHOTO POPUP FAIR and a respected curator who bridges the gap between art and business. In 2023, Wolfgang won the prestigious ICONIC award.

His career and artistic journey are documented in several notable publications:

  • NYC Scenes: A vibrant exploration of New York’s streets that captures the raw, unposed humanity of the city, treating the sidewalk as a catwalk for everyday people.
  • Distance: A reflective book born from a period of intense creative output, exploring the spatial and emotional gaps that define modern life.
  • Wir sind die Zukunft: A socially conscious portrait project featuring students from nearly 30 nations in Düsseldorf, giving a face and a voice to the dreams of the next generation.

The artworks visible in the shot are by Frank Dursthoff (camera left), Kai Schäfer from the Series “World Records” (behind Wolfgang), Tim Hillemacher (camera right on the pillar) and Killer2Go (on the table).

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High-end lighting meets low-budget survivor
High-end lighting meets low-budget survivor
10 December 2025

They say Christmas is about endurance, and nobody proves that better than this guy.

A high-quality, dramatically lit studio photograph of a battered chocolate Father Christmas. The chocolate is bruised with a visible tooth mark in the head and red foil peeling away from the base against a dark background. Copyright Jan Söhlke

Found at the bottom of the snack box, one year older and a little worse for wear—tooth marks and all. He’s seen things; he’s lost a bit of his coat, but he’s still here and he’s my 2025 Christmas card!

And by the time December 25th rolls around, we’ll probably all feel a little bit like this cocoa casualty.

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Thank you, Thomas
Thank you, Thomas
2 November 2025

Long serving head of finance at the University of Siegen, Thomas Wienkamp, is about to retire after almost four decades with the University. I have known him for years and when I first met him I had a question about a purchase amounting to a few hundred Euros. After patiently and sincerely attending to the matter and solving it (as he always did), I left his office and could overhear him asking the person who had waited behind me with exactly the same sincereity to prepare everything for the payment of the 10.5 million that was ready to go through to some contractor now.

Head of Finance at University of Siegen, Thomas Wienkamp, in his office shortly before retiring
Head of Finance at University of Siegen, Thomas Wienkamp, in his office shortly before retiring

So when I think of him there are so many “mosts” I don’t even know where to start: most friendly, most relaxed, most knowledgeable, most responsive, most approachable, most adaptable, most patient, most reliable, most supportive, and most creative, are a few of them. I am happy he agreed to a farewell portrait session in September and I am sure I am not the only one who is going to miss him and his very open door!

Thank you Thomas, and farewell!

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BOOM!
BOOM!
4 July 2024

A few days ago I wanted to get a small chocolaty gift at Siegen’s Naschwerk and read that “This Shop is Closed”. When looking online for which one was open, I learned that they had all closed due to bankruptcy. And Boom! Siegen’s already utterly bleak food scene has become even more barren.

What makes the end of a four generation era dating back to 1912 even more heartbraking is the end of the message Markus Podzimek, the owner of Naschwerk, posted online: comments were closed due to the harsh reactions they experienced on social media. WTF.

I don’t know Markus well, but when I asked him for a favour two years ago, he was extremely generous. I called because I needed impeccable chocolate to photograph on short notice, and not only did he make time to meet me one day before Christmas Eve (one of the busiest days of the year, if not the busiest day), he also halted production and squeezed in a batch of BOOM! because the ones he had were not in shape to have their picture taken.

I’m really sorry to hear Naschwerk is no more and it is a shame it got ugly on social media. Roosevelt called it “the man in the arena” and old Sam Becket said “Ever tried, ever failed. Try again, fail again, fail better.” Stumbling is part of building something, Boom! is part of the creative process.

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Classic Deutsche Mark Coins
Classic Deutsche Mark Coins
11 March 2024

Front and back of the classic five Deutsche Mark coin (also called a “Heiermann” for whatever reason). It was a pretty large and heavy but also somehow reassuring piece of currency. Despite that it clearly shows some wear after years of service. I somehow like the memory of how handling it feels. The other one is a 10 Pfennig coin from 1949 balancing on a 100 EUR note. The 10p still has “Bank Deutscher Länder” instead of “Deutsche Bundesbank” written on it.

While doing research on these old coins, I found it interesting how the obverse depicting the German Eagle changed over the years. On the 5-Deutsche-Mark coin, that was designed 1952 closer to the second world war, the eagle looks very meagre. The design on the fiver shown here is from 1975 and the bird does seem to have been fed much better.

As a side note: for the 10 p I used my home built tilt-shit-lens.

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Australian Cricket Ball
Australian Cricket Ball
4 March 2024

My friend Luke gave me his leather cricket ball when I visited him in Melbourne in 1998. I love the way it looks and feels and also the memories it stores of a trip to see the other side of the world and, ultimately another side of myself. It has been sitting on my desk for all that time now, and posting this I realise it is more than a quarter of a century. Not to get too philosophical, but time flies like a cricket ball, fruit flies like a banana…

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Brandy Stemware by WMF
Brandy Stemware by WMF
5 February 2024

Working with fine glass is always a pleasure – if challenging. This time because I dropped a heavy steel washer into the liquid for a nice splash effect one too many times and destroyed my beautiful WMF brandy bucket (as a friend once called it because of the sheer size). At least it was a sacrifice for art…

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My Portfolios

Coherent Anti Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) Probe Experimental Setup. Copyright Jan Söhlke.

Industrial & Academic Portfolio

With more than a decade of experience, I  strengthen the visual identity of my clients through industrial, academic, and corporate photography. 

I also headed communications departments in both the corporate and the academic world and this background enables me to get you the visuals you need – every time!

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Dog's Toy. Copyright Jan Söhlke.

Product Portfolio

What I enjoy about product photography is that through spending time with an object that otherwise gets overlooked as a mere utility, beauty can be found in unexpected places.

Making the extraordinary within the ordinary visible for others always is a very exciting process.

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Composer and Organist Prof Martin Herchenröder at the Grand Piano in Siegen's Martini Church. Copyright Jan Söhlke.

Portrait Portfolio

In the words of Arnold Newman, Portrait photography is 10% inspiration and 90% moving furniture.

It never seizes to amaze me how, by moving some furniture around and thus creating a carefully designed context for the subject, photography can condense the many facets of a personality into a still image.

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