Jonas Hafner

“Meeting like-minded and creative people has always been my favorite thing about photography”

Intercru: Where are you from? Where do you live/work now?

Jonas: I was born in the south of Germany, but after finishing my studies I moved to Hamburg, where I have been working as a doctor ever since. So photography is just a hobby for me, but who knows, maybe one day this will change.

How did you first get into photography?

After my A-levels I spent 12 months in Scotland, where I was working with the disabled. It was here when I first got my hands on a film camera which belonged to one of my co-workers.

Just before I left to New Zealand the year after I bought my first digital SLR. I was mostly taking landscape pictures in the beginning, but that changed quickly when I finally moved back to Germany and people became the focus of my work.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

Studying medicine or working in a hospital can be quite demanding. Everyday I see a lot of pain and suffering and sometimes it’s hard to get by. Photography has always helped me to stay positive and showed me how beautiful life can be.

In a way, I also needed my camera so that the creativity in me wouldn’t wither. There are so many things that inspire me– countless places, movies, books, music, or people. Even social media platforms like Instagram hold millions of treasures the world has yet to see.

What is the feeling you like to express with your creative work?

It’s not a certain feeling but rather the wish to show a world that is not broken and where your mind can wander.

What’s your favorite part about photography and going on photoshoots?

I have met a lot of great people along the way who love taking pictures just as much as I do. Many of them became my friends and I am quite thankful for that. Meeting like-minded and creative people has always been my favorite thing about photography.

What is your favorite subject to photograph?

My favorite subject are all kinds of artists, regardless of whether they are photographers, actors, models, or musicians.

Jonas Hafner is a Hamburg-based portrait photographer. To see more of his photography, you can check out his website aufzehengehen.de or follow her work on Instagram @aufzehengehen.de.