In February, several content creators met in Frankfurt for a weekend of collaborative photo and video sessions. Collabfinder.org took the opportunity to conduct some interviews and is pleased to introduce German photographer Klaus Maresch to its followers, fans, and other creators.
Klaus Maresch lives in Bonn and photographs in the Vohwinkel studio in Wuppertal
Collabfinder: “Tell us about your stage name and the moment you realized it was part of your identity.”
Klaus Maresch: I photograph under my own name. Photography is an extended hobby for me, and I’m quite well-known under my own name, also through environmental and press work. Regarding the topic of identity—well, I am the sum of my life; I think that’s what constitutes my identity. Everything together—education, profession, life as a gay man, my hobbies, my life experiences—forms my overall identity. I would never allow myself to be reduced to just one part of it. As a photographer, I mostly use Studio Vohwinkel in Wuppertal, but I also shoot outdoors at suitable locations, and this year I’ll be photographing at Grabbys Europe in Torremolinos.
Collabfinder: “Where do you live and how has this environment shaped you?”
Klaus Maresch: I live in Bonn in the Catholic Rhineland, together with my husband—the best of all, sometimes also the monster, the latter always when I make yet another “absolutely necessary, stylish, and sensible purchase” for my photography hobby. 🙂 He’s more of a pragmatic Bauhaus fan, and also a pragmatic and numbers-oriented banker, while I, as a child of the ’80s and ’90s and a fan of Dolce & Gabbana, Pierre et Gilles, and Jean-Paul Gaultier, prefer things a bit more opulent. Boys are allowed to sparkle! This occasionally makes my husband break out in a sweat, especially since he’s never quite sure how serious I am. Most recently, I discovered the topic of bodychains and blacklight and found that rubies and sapphires glow under blacklight. Perhaps I should have told him right away that the 500 carats of rubies and sapphires I need for such a bodychain could also be synthetic gemstones. But he’s breathing again now. His biggest nightmare is that I win the lottery and then, as a photographer, make “absolutely necessary, stylish, and sensible purchases” without restraint. We’d probably have to build a new house.
Collabfinder: “What passion of yours might surprise your followers?”
Klaus Maresch: Perhaps my main job. I used to be a professional beekeeper and still work for various authorities and other institutions when homeowners and gardeners have problems with bees, wasps, and hornets. Recently, we’ve been dealing with the invasive Asian hornet in Germany, which isn’t entirely harmless. Through research stays in Nepal and development aid projects in Ghana related to beekeeping and bees, I ultimately landed in photography. In the summer months, I have the six-legged stingers in front of my lens, and in the winter, it’s more the two-legged ones.
A second area of interest is my passion for fantasy in literature, fashion, and photography. I’ve published several urban fantasy novels myself, back then under the pseudonym Hagen Ulrich, not as Klaus Maresch. And my love of fantasy has carried over into my photography. I love to photographically depict mythical figures like demons, werewolves, or vampires, even in elaborate settings. Ultimately, these figures embody our secret fears, desires, and longings—the dark side within us, so to speak. I really enjoy photographing this page, especially using appropriate props. I love the Gothic and Victorian styles!
How does Klaus Maresch work as a photographer?
Collabfinder: “What are you looking for in a partner for a collaboration? What makes a collaboration authentic for you?”
Klaus Maresch: I’m exclusively behind the camera. But working with creators is usually on a collaborative basis. The chemistry between creator and photographer has to be right, and of course, I have to be able to connect with that type of creator. I enjoy working with twinks, twunks, and athletically active fitness enthusiasts. I think (gay) masculinity is something beautiful and shouldn’t automatically be seen as toxic. So, I mainly work with younger creators because I like to document their development photographically over a longer period.
Collabfinder: “What is your best survival tip for new content creators who are struggling to stand out from the crowd?”
Klaus Maresch: Reliability, punctuality, cleanliness, and a plan B for life after your career as a creator.
It’s perfectly fine to let me know the evening before a shoot or video shoot because you’ve caught a virus and aren’t feeling well. I even expect that from a creator, because a shoot can be exhausting.
I don’t accept lateness, especially when there are tight schedules, like for shoots on the sidelines of an event such as the Grabbys.
Of course, I expect the creator to arrive at the shoot “freshly washed and pressed.” Likewise, it’s not okay to show up to a shoot completely hungover and high from the after-effects of a wild party.
The porn business is a tough job, and eventually, it’s over. Then you should be able to fall back on your education and have built up some savings from your earnings. As a young creator, you should always keep in mind that every day, young men come of age and want to earn money in the creator business by enjoying gay sex. The market is ruthless. And as a creator, you shouldn’t just focus on yourself and your services. As a photographer, I see every creator as a valuable and lovable person who deserves respect.
Interested in a photoshoot with Klaus Maresch?
If you’re a creator looking to connect with other creators and photographers like Klaus Maresch for a collaborative project, log in to the Collabfinder-App. If you don’t already have an account on our app, you’ll need to register first. Your account will be verified, and once activated, you’ll find hundreds of different creators and can contact them to collaborate. to plan hot collaborations< 2 >.
If you are a fan interested in his work and would like to follow Klaus Maresch, you can find him on these channels:
Eine Auswahl von Bildern des Fotografen Klaus Maresch
