Holger has been submitting to 52Frames for almost 300 weeks. In this amount of time, you can’t help but improve, and you can see that although Holger’s photos were excellent when he first started 52Frames, you can also see that over time his subjects are more pointed, his processing sharper, his compositions more balanced. I also find it interesting when a certain style begins to surface over time as a photographer settles into a preferred way of shooting or processing. In Holger’s case, you see his crisp black-and-whites coming into play more often than not, and his photographs have become more minimalistic and story-driven. This week marks Holger’s 294th frame!

-Yosef

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Name: Holger Prothmann

Current All-Time Streak: 177

Joined 52Frames: 2020

Your “walk-around” gear right now:

Nikon Z6 + NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S

(paid Amazon links)

The place you call home:

Reutlingen, Germany

Your life in 30 words or less

From Germany, married, nerd with a PhD in informatics, and nearly 50, I live a happily ordinary life, taking photos for 20 years, alongside cycling and traveling.

Can you share 2 images, one from your past, and one more recent, that show your evolution as a photographer?

What has been your favorite style of shooting lately?

I admire photographers with a recognizable style, and I can already see that in some of my fellow 52 Framers, but I would not claim to have found my own just yet.

Lately, I have been drawn to clean, minimalistic images that isolate a detail within a larger scene. Sometimes that focus on details feels like both a gift and a curse: I enjoy the reduced look, but I might end up with three good detail shots of a building and still miss the building as a whole. So do not rely on me for any kind of professional architecture photography (or any other type of professional photo work ;)).

What was the first photo you ever submitted to 52Frames?

How did you find out about 52Frames?

I was looking for a regular photo assignment that is not a 365 project.

What submission are you most proud of and why?

One submission I am particularly proud of came from the 2022 “Emotion” challenge. I had no clear idea at first, but then the image of someone dancing in the rain with an umbrella suddenly came to me. My wife Natalie was kind enough to turn that idea into a wonderfully absurd scene on a nearby street. I love photographs that tell a story or carry an emotion, even though that is not always my natural strength, so it meant a lot when this unexpected shot was picked as one of the 52 Picks that week.

One tip you’d like to share?

My biggest tip is simple: Do not let perfectionism take the fun out of the challenges. When you have the time, creativity, and the right idea, it is wonderful to craft a perfect submission for a 52 Frames challenge — but that should be a joy, not an obligation. Some weeks, a quick photo that fits the theme is absolutely enough, and those “imperfect” entries can be just as valuable because you still learn from them.

Why is 52Frames meaningful to you?

52 Frames is meaningful to me because it gives me a reason to pick up the camera every week, even when a challenge is not my favorite. Photography has a way of pulling me fully into the moment, helping me focus on the shot in front of me and leave everything else behind for a while.

To view Holger’s profile on 52Frames, click here: