Tillmann Franzen began taking photos as a little boy. From this point, he discovered his fascination for converting light and perspectives into images. For his studies, he left his home Swabia to attend the Folkwang Hochschule (Folkwang University) in Essen, eventually ending up in Düsseldorf where he now resides and works.
Tillmann Franzen’s photography impresses through his manifold choice of topics. Instead of focussing on one particular theme, according to the photographer himself, it is “blanks showing a non-verbalised space, oscillating between the projection of the viewer and the portrayed” that appeal to him. The focus hereby lies on what exists behind what you actually see. These can be full stories or simply atmospheres or associations.
Franzen takes the inspiration for his images from his extensive travels, but also from his immediate surroundings, everyday life and studying photography and the arts. His approach is as varied and multiple as his choice of topics. While Franzen likes to plan ahead when it comes to commissions, he prefers to go with the flow in his personal work, with the important element here being the thought and the message.

“You see what you know” Tillmann Franzen