Photographer Christian Angerer is a man you can meet in the most exciting places in the world. Sometimes it's South Africa, sometimes Spain, then Milan or Paris – and at least one month a year: New York City. The world is his studio, the light his script. His visual language? Cinematic. Emotional. Unmistakable.
For the current cover of the renowned COOL AMERICA Magazine (NYC), Christian Angerer chose no less a location than Grand Central Terminal – one of the most iconic locations in the United States. What others consider impossible becomes a staged experience for him: no artificial light, no cordoned-off set. Just a few minutes of time, crowds of people, fleeting shadows – and a photographer who sees the perfect moment before it happens.
"We prepared everything the day before. Coordination with security, police, store managers – the timing had to be perfect to the second," says Christian Angerer. "The actual shoot took less than ten minutes."
For someone who photographs models in an open-topped Huey helicopter from a helicopter, works spectacularly with cheetahs, wolves, or 25 horses on a set – or had musician Sting prepare a zabaglione in the middle of a busy street – it's almost routine. But only almost.
Christian Angerer is in demand not only in the fashion world. Large corporations and executive boards of international companies are also among his clients. "These shots are often not public," he says, "but these portraits – with people who have no camera experience but who bear responsibility – are one of the most demanding and at the same time most exciting tasks. Staging these personalities so that they appear as if they were in a film scene – real, confident, natural – that is also a challenge that I love."
And why do many campaigns fail today despite huge budgets? Christian Angerer sums it up: "We see over 10,000 advertising impressions every day. If your image, your spot, your story doesn't captivate within a second, it's gone. Money is wasted. Anyone who doesn't master visual storytelling today, that stops, remains invisible. My answer to this is visual compositions that are more than advertising. They are narrative. Emotion. Cinema in a single frame."
Christian Angerer is a photographer who creates worlds and magical moments in a single instant, instead of "just taking pictures" – and who knows exactly when to press the shutter button so that this magical moment lasts forever. His style is unmistakable, his demeanor engaging and respectful – someone with whom you can realize a vision.
