Photography by Martin Muntenbruch

As a kid, this German photographer lived in America where the constant flow of images quickly caught his attention. With the taste of those pictures nagging in his head, Martin returned home to Germany, where he dove into painting, heavily inspired by Surrealism.

After graduating with a BA in Physics and Fine Arts, he became a graphic designer for Harper's Bazaar, then art director for FCB, an international advertising agency in Berlin. But what he really preferred was photography, which he felt was the best tool to actualize his vision. Also, photography enabled him to more effectively show the subtleties of the female body, the texture of the skin, and the sexual attitude of a woman.

When leaving FCB Martin assisted german fashion and beauty photographer Jochen Harder for 2 years before going off on his own. Martin says that the super hero comics which he read as a kid had a big influence on his work and he wants to reproduce their graphic fantasy and magic. Martin believes that strong black and white conveys his surrealistic dreamscape better than color. However, his color series with Tobi-Rae, which he shot in marble dust in a quarry outside of Athens, has just as much impact.

Using wide angle lenses enhances the dynamic of his pictures and brings him closer to his models. He also favors direct and frontal lighting coming from just one source, as if it were projected onto the stage of a theater. Martin likes to show his girls as strong characters. He uses his models like actors to express his own dreams and ideas. Martin Muntenbruch lives today in Paris and Los Angeles, working for Rizzoli, Hachette and G+J.