About Me
STEFAN FALKE Photography New York City
I am a photographer who is as passionate about my personal projects as I am about my professional assignments for international editorial, corporate, and private clients. My work is rooted in a deep love for storytelling. Early in my career, I photographed stills for major film productions and watched how stories were meticulously crafted for the big screen. When I moved on to magazine and book projects, I recognized the parallels in my own narrative-driven approach to print, whether the project was large or small. Even a single portrait session tells a story for me. I prefer on-location portraits, though I’m equally comfortable in the studio. I enjoy directing as much as capturing the unpredictable moments in front of my camera, always focusing on composition and content to guide the viewer’s eye to the essential story within each photograph.
My story in short: I was born in Paderborn, Germany. After abandoning my civil engineer studies in Aachen and Essen I assisted several photographers in Munich and later worked as a silk screen printer in Hamburg. My professional photography career started when German film director Hermine Huntgeburth asked me to shoot stills for one of her movies. After that successful assignment I got continuous work as a set photographer for productions filmed in France, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Morocco, Denmark, Finland, Kenya, South Africa, Spain, Romania and Jordan; among the highlights were Hermine Huntgeburth's 'The White Massai', Peter Sehr and Marie Noelle's 'Ludwig II' and Gavin Millar's 'Albert Schweitzer'. Those amazing years working on film sets were the foundation for my future as a professional photographer.
During those yers I also started shooting books and catalogues for German sculptor Luise Kimme, an art professor at the Düsseldorfer Kunstakademie with a studio in the Caribbean island of Tobago; her art and art practice had a huge influence on me. She would later introduce me to world renown costume designer and Carnival master 'mas' man Peter Minshall in Trinidad; that connection led to my first long term photography project titled "Moko Jumbies: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad". The photos were in the official selection of "Visa Pour L'Image", and the book - my first - was published by Pointed Leaf Press in New York in 2004.
My interest soon shifted to other topics like the US - Mexico Border where over time I photographed over 200 artists on both sides of the 2000 miles long divide in order to shine a spotlight on the vibrant cultural activities on both sides of that bi-national region. The book about that project, "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border", was published in Germany in 2014 but I continued to visit and photograph along the border until the Pandemic in 2020 when I started a very different body of work about the - almost - empty streets of New York - which resulted in the self published and award winning book "Keep Going New York !!". My most recent book project - and already award winning too - is called Reflecting New York for which I photographed places in my chosen hometown with the help of a hand-held mirror.
I am a member of ASMP, APA and APAG; my photos are distributed by the German photo agency "laif / agentur fuer photos und reportagen" (laif is represented by Redux in the US).
My advertising rep is Frank Meo
My wife Christine and I live happily in New York City !! I am fluent in English and German.
Selected Clients and Publications:
The New York Times, New York Magazine, PHOTO, Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, FAZ, Focus, Brigitte, Cicero, Geo Spain, Geo Korea, FotoMagazin, Photographie, TAZ, Cinema, Architectural Digest, SonntagsBlick, Schweitzer Illustrierte, Sports, Caribbean Travel & Life, Caribbean Beat, Tank, Topos, Verdi, Dogs, Elle, ART, The Oxford American, NZZ am Sonntag, INTERVIEW by Ringer, Kunstzeitung, La Repubblica Del Donne, Le Point, Challenges, Warner Brothers (Germany), Bavaria Film, Constantin Film, NFP Berlin, Josefine Film, UFA, WDR, C3 Berlin, Fotogloria, Haddad & Partners, DHL, Union Investments, American Express, Bulthaup, TD Bank, DC UNITED, Saks Fifth Avenue ...
Featured online:
Wired (Reflecting New York), Wired (US-Mexico border artists), The New York Times (US-Mexico border artists), BBC (US-Mexico border artists), The Huffington Post (US-Mexico border artists), APhotoEditor (US-Mexico border artists), APhotoEditor (MOKO JUMBIES: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad), APhotoEditor (Keep Going New York), ProPhotoDaily (Reflecting New York), aCurator (US-Mexico border artists), The FORWARD THINKING MUSEUM (US-Mexico border artists), Hyperallergic (US-Mexico border artists), L'Oeil de la Photographie (US-Mexico border artists), Hahnemühle (US-Mexico border artists), FAZ Magazin (US-Mexico border artists), Courrier International (US-Mexico border artists), Trip Magazin (US-Mexico border artists), Photoville (US-Mexico border artists), photo-letter (US-Mexico border artists), American Photography's ProPhotoDaily (US-Mexico border artists), ASMP - American Society of Media Photographers (Keep Going New York), Liberation (MOKO JUMBIES: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad), ...
Books:
REFLECTING NEW YORK My chosen hometown reflected in a hand held mirror / an award winning photographic portfolio. Self published on blurb.com, preview and/or order it here
KEEP GOING NEW YORK !! My award winning book about the streets of New York City in 2020 - Self published on blurb.com, preview and/or order it here
LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border - by Stefan Falke / LA FRONTERA: Künstler an der US-Mexikanischen Grenze, published by Edition Faust, Frankfurt/Germany. View here
MOKO JUMBIES: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad - by Stefan Falke / Published by Pointed Leaf Press, New York. View here
Awards:
2025 - IPA - International Photography Awards - Honorable Mention in category self published books: "Reflecting New York" (see here)
2025 - CA 2025 Award of Excellence - Communication Arts Photography Annual 66 - category: books, for "Reflecting New York" (see here)
2025 - APA LA (American Photographic Artists) OFF THE CLOCK 2025 - "Reflecting New York"
2025 - American Photography AP41 Chosen Winner for images from my "Reflecting New York" series
2024 - ASMP - Best of American Society of Media Photographers 2024 contest - category Personal Project series - 1st place jurors choice for "Reflecting Dubai".
2024 - Global Focus Project Award for "Keep Going New York !!" Xposure Photo Festival in Sharjah, UAE.
2023 - APA LA (American Photographic Artists) OFF THE CLOCK - "Fire Blower in Trinidad"
2023 - IPA - International Photography Awards - Honorable Mention in category editorial for my portrait of Nadja Murat
2021 - IPA - International Photography Awards - 3rd place in category street photography for "Keep Going New York !!" (see here)
2021 - IPA - International Photography Awards - Honorable Mention in category self published books: "Keep Going New York !!" (see here)
2021 - CA 2021Award of Excellence - Communication Arts Photography Annual 62 - category: books, for "Keep Going New York !!" (see here)
2021 - ASMP - Best of American Society of Media Photographers 2020 contest - category series - 2nd place for "Keep Going New York !!"
2021 - American Photography AP37 Chosen Winner for images from my "Keep Going New York !!" series
2013 - David Chow Humanitarian Award for "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
Grants:
2012 - Stiftung Kulturwerk der VG BILD-KUNST granted support for my project "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
Lectures, Presentations:
2025 - Frank Meo's PROJECTIONS ("Reflecting New York" - zoom presentation)
2024 - American Photographic Artists, APA, at Adorama: Turning Personal Projects into Books, Exhibitions and Jobs With Stefan Falke and APA New York. Watch it on YouTube here
2024 - SVA School of Visual Arts NYC i3 Masters of Digital Photography Lecture Series hosted by Julie Grahame (view on YouTube here)
2021 - Frank Meo's PROJECTIONS ("Keep Going New York !!" - zoom presentation)
2021 - Coney Island USA - Ask The Experts: Stefan Falke - Live with Adam Rinn
2021 - Talk Show "Spin It Social Hour" with Steffen Kaplan (about "Keep Going New York !!" book) watch the recording of it on YouTube here
2020 - Talk Show "Spin It Social Hour" with Steffen Kaplan (about "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border") watch the recording of it on YouTube here
2020 - Frank Meo's PROJECTIONS / NYC ("Keep Going New York")
2019 - Frank Meo's PROJECTIONS / NYC ("LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border")
2013 - Rubin Center for the Arts El Paso ("LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border")
Panel Discussions:
2025 - Deutsches Haus at NYU, New York: "Let's Talk About Photography"
2018 - Deutsches Haus at NYU, New York: "Art and Migration"
2016 - Phillips Museum, Washington DC: "Migration/Immigration"
Podcasts:
Rational Middle: hosted by Melissa Brannan (not available anymore)
B&H Photography Podcasts - Art Between Us - Photography on the U.S.-Mexico Border
NPR Marketplace - Documenting Art on the US-Mexico Border
Online Interviews:
Deutsches Haus at NYU - about my exhibition Reflecting New York read it here
A video portrait by Daniel Milnor about my work and the Keep Going New York !! project. Watch it here
A short video portrait about me and my Keep Going New York !! project - created by Crispin Kerr-Dineen, a graduate student in journalism (news and documentary) at New York University in 2023. Watch it here
CYME - Stefan Falke: The Photography Storyteller - read it here
Canvas Rebel - Meet Stefan Falke here
Deutsches Haus at NYU - about my exhibition "Keep Going New York !!" read it here
Max Hünten Haus Zingst, Germany - about my exhibition "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border" read (in German only) here
Deutsches Haus at NYU - about my exhibition "MOKO JUMBIES: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad" read here
San Diego Free Press - about my project "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border" read here
Faces Of Photography - about my work in New York during the Corona Crisis 2020 - read here
Moment: New York Blog - about my New York photographs during the Corona Crisis 2020 - read (in German) here
Reviews:
Reviews in Digital Humanities 2020 - LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US-Mexico Border - Review in Spanish and English here
Solo Exhibitions:
2025 - Deutsches Haus at NYU, New York City: "Reflecting New York" (more information here)
2024 - Xposure Photo Festival in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates - "Keep Going New York !!" - Global Focus Project Award exhibition
2022 - D.A.I. Deutsch Amerikanisches Institut Tübingen, Germany - "Keep Going New York !!" (more information here)
2021 - Deutsches Haus at NYU, New York City: "Keep Going New York !!" (more information here)
2021 - Galerie Max Hünten Haus Zingst, Germany: "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border" (more information and 360 degree photos here)
2019 - Centennial Museum at UTEP, El Paso, Texas: "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2018 - American Space Leipzig, Germany: "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2018 - Steppling Art Gallery at SDSU Imperial Valley in Calexico, California: "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2018 - German-American Center Stuttgart/Germany: "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2018 - Deutsches Haus at NYU, New York City: "MOKO JUMBIES: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad"
2017 - d.a.i. Tübingen, Germany (Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut / German-American Institute): "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2017 - Deutsches Haus at NYU, New York City: "The Wall(s)" (about the US-Mexico Border)
2017 - CEART Mexicali, Mexico : "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2017 - Galeria 409, Brownsville, Texas: "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2016 - Festival Tijuana Interzona, Mexico, (outdoor exhibition on the border fence): "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2016 - Goethe Institut Washington DC : "2,000 MILES: DIVIDED LAND, COMMON HUMANITY"
2016 - Deutsches Haus at NYU, New York: "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2015 - Triennale der Photographie Hamburg : "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2014 - Photoville, Brooklyn, New York : "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2014 - The Cervantes Institute, Cultural Institute of Spain, Frankfurt, Germany : "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2014 - Mexican Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany: "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2014 - International Museum for Art and Science (IMAS), McAllen, Texas : "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2013 - The Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington, D.C., : "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2013 - La Casa Familiar, San Ysidro, USA: "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2013 - La Tentacion Gallery, Tijuana, Mexico, : "New York Fake Polaroids II"
2012 - La Casa Del Tunel, Tijuana, Mexico: "LA FRONTERA: Artists along the US Mexican Border"
2012 - La Tentacion Gallery, Tijuana, Mexico: "New York Fake Polaroids"
2004 - Visa Pour l'Image / Perpignan, France - official festival selection: "MOKO JUMBIES: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad"
1998 - Saarländische Künstlerhaus Saarbrücken: Stefan Falke: Fotografierte Geschichten - Filmfotografie
Screenings:
2011 - Visa Pour l'Image / Perpignan, France - evening screening: "Machine Gun Show in Kentucky"
2010 - Visa Pour l'Image / Perpignan, France - evening screening: "Camp Hope"
2003 - Visa Pour l'Image / Perpignan, France - evening screening: "MOKO JUMBIES: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad"
Group Exhibitions:
2021 - The Rockefeller Flag Project, New York, USA
2017 - present - Sierra Club - traveling exhibition, USA: "Lens On The Border"
2017 - SDSU Downtown Gallery San Diego, USA: "We Are Here/Somos Aqui"
Feature Films (selection - unit still photographer):
2015 Brecht (Heinrich Breloer)
2011 Ludwig II. (Peter Sehr and Marie-Noelle)
2009 Die Superbullen (Gernot Roll)
2009 Werner - Eiskalt 2008 (Gernot Roll)
2008 Albert Schweitzer (Gavin Millar)
2007 Die Buddenbrooks - Ein Geschäft von einiger Größe (Heinrich Breloer)
2007 Short Cut to Hollywood (Marcus Mittermeier)
2006 Ein Ferienhaus auf Ibiza (Marco Serafini)
2006 Love Comes Lately (Jan Schütte)
2006 Die Frau vom Checkpoint Charlie (Miguel Alexandre)
2005 Hounded (Angelina Maccarone)
2005 Störtebeker (Miguel Alexandre)
2004 Die weisse Massai (Hermine Huntgeburth)
2004 Speer und Er (Heinrich Breloer)
2000 HipHop - A Tale from the Hood (Harald Rumpf)
2000 Journey to Kafiristan (Fosco Dubini)
2000 Die Manns - Ein Jahrhundertroman (Heinrich Breloer)
1999 Abschied - Brechts letzter Sommer (Jan Schütte)
1999 Nick Knatterton (Markus O. Rosenmüller)
1998 Gangster (Volker Einrauch)
1998 I Love You, Baby (Nick Lyon)
1998 Das Trio (Hermine Huntgeburth)
1997 Fette Welt (Jan Schütte)
1994 Ein falscher Schritt (Hermine Huntgeburth)
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Portrait: Christine Merrick
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Stefan Falke Photography
New York
portfolios: www.stefanfalke.com
email: stefanfalke@mac.com
phone: +1 (917) 214 9029
200 W 26th Street Apt 17B
New York, NY 10001
USA
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