about the

Collective

Two men working at a table in an office, one standing and making a peace sign, the other sitting and working on a laptop.

Our Story

Our collective consists of Johannes, Luis, José, and Christoph. Together, we work internationally and collaboratively, with the goal of bringing stories to light that deserve attention.

Our work focuses on three core areas:

Global news and reporting: current events, Politics, social & Environmental developments,

documentary projects: In-depth visual LONG-therm stories about people, places, and social change.

Sustainability and humanitarian ISSUES: Stories about sustainable environmental initiatives, social justice, and NGO projects that are driving change, making a real difference, and deserve to be highlighted.

We are an independent collective of photojournalists, formed through our shared Studys at the European Pressphoto Agency Academy (Organized by EPA IMAGES).

What unites us is a simple idea: In an era of global crises and fast-paced news, independent photojournalism is more important than ever. Instead of navigating the complex media landscape individually, we pool our VISIONS and skills into a shared network.

As an independent collective, we work autonomously, flexibly, and internationally. We collaborate with newsrooms, organizations, and partners interested in responsible reporting. Our work is made possible through commissions, partnerships, or direct support.

In this way, you help ensure that independent photojournalism continues to reach people and bring to light stories that are often overlooked.

MORE INFOS ABOUT OUR WORK

Person taking a photo of themselves in a mirror, with trees and buildings visible through a window behind them.

Johannes Jäger Tascón

Based in: GERMANY - Frankfurt am Main

Nationality: Colombian/German

Languages: spanish, German, English

ROLE in the collective: visual journalist

Personal introduction: ‍ ‍Born and raised in colombia, i picked up a camera to tell impactful stories while building meaningful connections with the people behind them.

specializations: News - Portrait - events - art

A man with dark hair, glasses, and a beard is wearing headphones and making a fist with his right hand. He is wearing a gray jacket and is sitting in what appears to be an airplane.

Jose Villacreses

BASED IN:‍ GERMANY ‍NATIONALITY:‍ Ecuador ‍ LANGUAGES: Spanish, ENGLISH, German

ROLE IN THE COLLECTIVE: ‍. Photography,

SPECIALIZATIONS:‍ SOCIAL EVENTS, Environment, Crises Areas

PERSONAL INTRODUCTION: (In progress)

Luis Sander

BASED IN:‍ GERMANY ‍NATIONALITY:‍ GERMAN ‍ LANGUAGES: GERMAN, ENGLISH

ROLE IN THE COLLECTIVE: ‍. Video, Photography, Design, Creative

SPECIALIZATIONS:‍ SOCIAL EVENTS, Music

PERSONAL INTRODUCTION: (In Progress)

A black and white photo of a man with curly hair and a beard, making a playful facial expression with one eye squinted and his mouth slightly open.

Christoph Rutenkolk

BASED IN:‍ GERMANY - Kassel ‍NATIONALITY:‍ GERMAN ‍ LANGUAGES: GERMAN, ENGLISH

ROLE IN THE COLLECTIVE: ‍. Photography, Website, D-A-Ch communication

SPECIALIZATIONS:‍. PORTRAIT, WILDLIFE, SOCIAL EVENTS ‍

PERSONAL INTRODUCTION: CHRISTOPH RUTENKOLK IS A GERMANY-BASED PHOTOGRAPHER WORKING ON PORTRAITURE, REPORTAGE, AND PHOTOJOURNALISM. WITH A BACKGROUND AS A HEAD CHEF, HIS WORK IS SHAPED BY PRECISION, TIMING, AND AN INSTINCT FOR HUMAN STORIES. HIS PORTFOLIO FOCUSES ON PEOPLE: UNFILTERED AND EVEN BOLD SOMETIMES. WHETHER DOCUMENTING CULTURAL EVENTS, SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, WILDLIFE OR INTIMATE PORTRAITS, CLOSE, REAL, AND VISUALLY INTENTIONAL.CURRENTLY. HE IS BUILDING A BODY OF WORK THAT REFLECTS REAL MOMENTS. HIS LONG-TERM VISION INCLUDES CROSS-BORDER STORYTELLING PROJECTS, DOCUMENTING LIFE, IDENTITY, AND CHANGE ACROSS DIFFERENT CULTURES.

“COLORBLIND BUT NEVER VISIONLESS” - SEEING BEYOND SURFACE DIFFERENCES TO CAPTURE WHAT CONNECTS PEOPLE UNIVERSALLY. THROUGH THE BORDERLESS MEDIA PROJECT, HE AIMS TO CONTRIBUTE AUTHENTIC, HUMAN-CENTERED STORIES THAT RESONATE BEYOND GEOGRAPHY AND LANGUAGE.