WHAT WAS THE FIRST MILESTONE FOR YOU IN YOUR CAREER AS A PHOTOGRAPHER?

My first collaborations were an important step for me to feel legitimate as someone who just started doing this professionally. I started to perceive myself as a photographer, to admit that to myself. Sometimes I almost had to remind myself: you’re a photographer, you get paid for your work, might as well call yourself a photographer. But it was also the general appreciation for my work, my creative output, that meant a lot to me.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY THAT YOU LOVE?

Well, it was definitely the biggest topic on Instagram back then and my first point of contact with photography, which then quickly developed into a passion. When I’m out and about with my camera, I observe a lot, feeling almost invisible. This allows me to capture real moments and genuine moods, which has an incomparable appeal for me.

Catching the right moment turns an everyday moment into something significant. Timing is essential because otherwise you quickly slip into the banal; one second can make all the difference. Once you’ve achieved that a few times, you’re quickly out there every day trying to replicate it.

HOW HAS YOUR INSTAGRAM SUCCESS AFFECTED YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY?

Of course, classic street photography became more and more difficult the more reach I had. That’s when people would recognize themselves or their friends and link to them in the pictures. That’s great, of course, but also not the point.

I have my golden rule that I only publish images that are flattering to the subject. Still, of course, not everyone agrees to their picture being shared publicly, especially with the reach of my channel. That’s why I’ve evolved my visual language in recent years, away from people and more towards urban landscapes.

HOW DID YOU USE THIS UPHEAVAL TO DEVELOP YOUR STYLE?

From the beginning, my images were very emotionally charged. Now that people are not the focus anymore, I try to provoke emotions differently. To do this, I work a lot with light and mood, color combinations, complimentary contrasts, but also exciting geometric elements like lines of houses. What emotions are triggered in the end in the viewer you can never know, but as long as something is touched on the inside, I have achieved my goal.

YOUR IMAGES HAVE A DISTINCTIVE STYLE. HOW DO YOU DEVELOP IT?

On an Instagram profile, the last dozen published posts are displayed at the same time, and that’s also my business card for potential customers. For the aesthetics, it is therefore important that the images have a certain consistency, that there is a common thread.

I achieve this mainly with the help of my personal presets, in which I invest a lot of time when creating them. Then I have them ready at hand on my Loupedeck CT, and often I know exactly which preset fits the image at first glance, and then all that’s left is to fine-tune it.

I’ve developed a certain rhythm because after a few months I get bored with the presets and start to create a new set. Generally, it stays in the dark spectrum, but I experiment with hues and temperature, evolving to keep it exciting. My followers always notice right away when I try new things.

WHAT IS THE BEST STEP IN EDITING FOR YOU?

My images feature a lot of black and gray and get tension and balance from light or strong complementary contrasts, so working with curves is the most important step for me. That’s where I get the most impact, giving images my individual style. I try out a lot until I like the result. In general, I definitely have a soft spot for dark tones and gloomy moods, that’s my personal aesthetic.

The Loupedeck CT helps me tremendously to get the most out of my images. I can make super-precise adjustments in the curves without having to take my eyes off the image. It makes me feel much closer to the image, and I can intuitively realize my vision.

HOW HAS THE LOUPEDECK CT CHANGED YOUR WORKFLOW?

If you’ve been editing images for many years as I have, you’re pretty stuck in your ways. So it was exciting to completely break down my process, tweak it, and reassemble it with the Loupedeck. It took a little getting used to, of course, but I can do every step that I used to need the mouse for better with the Loupedeck CT. I’m always surprised at how much more direct editing feels now.

TO WHOM WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE LOUPEDECK CT?

I recommend the Loupedeck CT to all my colleagues who edit images professionally. Not only has it turned my workflow around and improved it, but it also brings me much closer to the image while I’m working.

Find and follow Thomas on Instagram: @thomas_k

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In the age of the smartphone, it’s easy for everyone to feel like they are a budding food photographer, but getting professional-looking photos of food can be difficult. Without giving away all your secrets – any tips you can share to help people create stunning food images?

Just like all types of photography, I believe food photography relies heavily on a beautiful subject, but you need great light and composition to make even the most delicious subject look appetizing. Having some nice lenses and a camera is great, but even if you’re shooting with a smartphone, you can make some great images.

My biggest tip is always to try and make your food the brightest part of your image. Flat light without shadows or highlights is a photo killer. You want your food to pop off the background, and having that subject be the brightest element in your image will make it stand out from the scene. Another simple tip is to use just a single light source, whether that’s your window or some artificial light, make sure there is only one light from a single direction entering your photo. This will make sure you have appropriate contrast with no mixing of different types of lights and color temperatures.

Editing plays a big part in food photography – with everything from image selection to fine adjustments playing a big role to help the subject look its best. process. Can you walk us through your usual process?

My usual editing process starts with image selection. I typically use Capture One to shoot tethered from my camera to my computer, so the images appear as I take them (which I have a custom button now on my Loupedeck CT that fires off my camera when I press it!) After the shoot comes to the long process of selecting the winning shots; sometimes I know right away and I rate the shots as I take them, but other times I’m sifting through 500 or so images per shoot.

After I’ve made my selections, I’ll start to develop the images using the sliders either in Capture One or in the Lightroom develop module. I usually create a general adjustment with things like white balance, exposure and contrast then sync those basic adjustments to all the other images I took during that session.

After the RAW images are processed, I’ll move over to Photoshop to remove blemishes, pieces of food that got out of place or to do more advanced composites combining multiple images together.

What were your first impressions of the Loupedeck CT?

It’s a beautiful product, I mean just looking at it, it looks great on the desk. I’m not going to lie, it was tough at first because I only have ever used the keyboard. However, after testing it out and working with it for a week or so, I was easily able to use it without taking my eyes off the monitor. It just took time for my brain to memorize where the dials and buttons are, but now it’s really fast.

As part of your job, you work with various people on-site, particularly food stylists. Have you been able to integrate the Loupedeck CT into your on-site shooting and what kind of difference has it made?

Yeah so that’s a funny thing, on set I always shoot tethered to my laptop, and the client or food stylists will often want to either take a picture, rotate, rate or cycle through the images. I would always have to show them how to do it in the software or tell them what the hotkey was, and most of the time it would be confusing, or I would have to explain it multiple times throughout the shoot. So now with the Loupedeck, I’ve created a couple of custom controls on the touch buttons that are clearly labeled for when clients or food stylists need them.

Would you recommend the Loupedeck to other creatives?

I would definitely recommend the Loupedeck to my friends and other creatives who do a lot of image or video work. I think it has a lot of fun and practical applications for speeding up that editing workflow but also on set as well. When you do a lot of editing and post-production, seconds add up to hours and days over the long term, so anything that will shave off time during that process is extremely valuable from a time standpoint.

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YOUR IMAGES HAVE A DISTINCTIVE STYLE. HOW DO YOU DEVELOP IT?

On an Instagram profile, the last dozen published posts are displayed at the same time, and that’s also my business card for potential customers. For the aesthetics, it is therefore important that the images have a certain consistency, that there is a common thread.

I achieve this mainly with the help of my personal presets, in which I invest a lot of time when creating them. Then I have them ready at hand on my Loupedeck CT, and often I know exactly which preset fits the image at first glance, and then all that’s left is to fine-tune it.

I’ve developed a certain rhythm because after a few months I get bored with the presets and start to create a new set. Generally, it stays in the dark spectrum, but I experiment with hues and temperature, evolving to keep it exciting. My followers always notice right away when I try new things.

WHAT IS THE BEST STEP IN EDITING FOR YOU?

My images feature a lot of black and gray and get tension and balance from light or strong complementary contrasts, so working with curves is the most important step for me. That’s where I get the most impact, giving images my individual style. I try out a lot until I like the result. In general, I definitely have a soft spot for dark tones and gloomy moods, that’s my personal aesthetic.

The Loupedeck CT helps me tremendously to get the most out of my images. I can make super-precise adjustments in the curves without having to take my eyes off the image. It makes me feel much closer to the image, and I can intuitively realize my vision.

HOW HAS THE LOUPEDECK CT CHANGED YOUR WORKFLOW?

If you’ve been editing images for many years as I have, you’re pretty stuck in your ways. So it was exciting to completely break down my process, tweak it, and reassemble it with the Loupedeck. It took a little getting used to, of course, but I can do every step that I used to need the mouse for better with the Loupedeck CT. I’m always surprised at how much more direct editing feels now.

TO WHOM WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE LOUPEDECK CT?

I recommend the Loupedeck CT to all my colleagues who edit images professionally. Not only has it turned my workflow around and improved it, but it also brings me much closer to the image while I’m working.

Find and follow Thomas on Instagram: @thomas_k

Share this article

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MILESTONE FOR YOU IN YOUR CAREER AS A PHOTOGRAPHER?

My first collaborations were an important step for me to feel legitimate as someone who just started doing this professionally. I started to perceive myself as a photographer, to admit that to myself. Sometimes I almost had to remind myself: you’re a photographer, you get paid for your work, might as well call yourself a photographer. But it was also the general appreciation for my work, my creative output, that meant a lot to me.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY THAT YOU LOVE?

Well, it was definitely the biggest topic on Instagram back then and my first point of contact with photography, which then quickly developed into a passion. When I’m out and about with my camera, I observe a lot, feeling almost invisible. This allows me to capture real moments and genuine moods, which has an incomparable appeal for me.

Catching the right moment turns an everyday moment into something significant. Timing is essential because otherwise you quickly slip into the banal; one second can make all the difference. Once you’ve achieved that a few times, you’re quickly out there every day trying to replicate it.

HOW HAS YOUR INSTAGRAM SUCCESS AFFECTED YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY?

Of course, classic street photography became more and more difficult the more reach I had. That’s when people would recognize themselves or their friends and link to them in the pictures. That’s great, of course, but also not the point.

I have my golden rule that I only publish images that are flattering to the subject. Still, of course, not everyone agrees to their picture being shared publicly, especially with the reach of my channel. That’s why I’ve evolved my visual language in recent years, away from people and more towards urban landscapes.

HOW DID YOU USE THIS UPHEAVAL TO DEVELOP YOUR STYLE?

From the beginning, my images were very emotionally charged. Now that people are not the focus anymore, I try to provoke emotions differently. To do this, I work a lot with light and mood, color combinations, complimentary contrasts, but also exciting geometric elements like lines of houses. What emotions are triggered in the end in the viewer you can never know, but as long as something is touched on the inside, I have achieved my goal.

YOUR IMAGES HAVE A DISTINCTIVE STYLE. HOW DO YOU DEVELOP IT?

On an Instagram profile, the last dozen published posts are displayed at the same time, and that’s also my business card for potential customers. For the aesthetics, it is therefore important that the images have a certain consistency, that there is a common thread.

I achieve this mainly with the help of my personal presets, in which I invest a lot of time when creating them. Then I have them ready at hand on my Loupedeck CT, and often I know exactly which preset fits the image at first glance, and then all that’s left is to fine-tune it.

I’ve developed a certain rhythm because after a few months I get bored with the presets and start to create a new set. Generally, it stays in the dark spectrum, but I experiment with hues and temperature, evolving to keep it exciting. My followers always notice right away when I try new things.

WHAT IS THE BEST STEP IN EDITING FOR YOU?

My images feature a lot of black and gray and get tension and balance from light or strong complementary contrasts, so working with curves is the most important step for me. That’s where I get the most impact, giving images my individual style. I try out a lot until I like the result. In general, I definitely have a soft spot for dark tones and gloomy moods, that’s my personal aesthetic.

The Loupedeck CT helps me tremendously to get the most out of my images. I can make super-precise adjustments in the curves without having to take my eyes off the image. It makes me feel much closer to the image, and I can intuitively realize my vision.

HOW HAS THE LOUPEDECK CT CHANGED YOUR WORKFLOW?

If you’ve been editing images for many years as I have, you’re pretty stuck in your ways. So it was exciting to completely break down my process, tweak it, and reassemble it with the Loupedeck. It took a little getting used to, of course, but I can do every step that I used to need the mouse for better with the Loupedeck CT. I’m always surprised at how much more direct editing feels now.

TO WHOM WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE LOUPEDECK CT?

I recommend the Loupedeck CT to all my colleagues who edit images professionally. Not only has it turned my workflow around and improved it, but it also brings me much closer to the image while I’m working.

Find and follow Thomas on Instagram: @thomas_k

Share this article

WHAT WAS THE FIRST MILESTONE FOR YOU IN YOUR CAREER AS A PHOTOGRAPHER?

My first collaborations were an important step for me to feel legitimate as someone who just started doing this professionally. I started to perceive myself as a photographer, to admit that to myself. Sometimes I almost had to remind myself: you’re a photographer, you get paid for your work, might as well call yourself a photographer. But it was also the general appreciation for my work, my creative output, that meant a lot to me.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY THAT YOU LOVE?

Well, it was definitely the biggest topic on Instagram back then and my first point of contact with photography, which then quickly developed into a passion. When I’m out and about with my camera, I observe a lot, feeling almost invisible. This allows me to capture real moments and genuine moods, which has an incomparable appeal for me.

Catching the right moment turns an everyday moment into something significant. Timing is essential because otherwise you quickly slip into the banal; one second can make all the difference. Once you’ve achieved that a few times, you’re quickly out there every day trying to replicate it.

HOW HAS YOUR INSTAGRAM SUCCESS AFFECTED YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY?

Of course, classic street photography became more and more difficult the more reach I had. That’s when people would recognize themselves or their friends and link to them in the pictures. That’s great, of course, but also not the point.

I have my golden rule that I only publish images that are flattering to the subject. Still, of course, not everyone agrees to their picture being shared publicly, especially with the reach of my channel. That’s why I’ve evolved my visual language in recent years, away from people and more towards urban landscapes.

HOW DID YOU USE THIS UPHEAVAL TO DEVELOP YOUR STYLE?

From the beginning, my images were very emotionally charged. Now that people are not the focus anymore, I try to provoke emotions differently. To do this, I work a lot with light and mood, color combinations, complimentary contrasts, but also exciting geometric elements like lines of houses. What emotions are triggered in the end in the viewer you can never know, but as long as something is touched on the inside, I have achieved my goal.