CHRISTOPH

FULL NAME: Christoph Rutenkolk Based in:‍ Germany ‍Nationality:‍ German ‍Languages: German, English

ROLE in the collective: Photography, Website, D-A-Ch com ‍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.

POLITICS & SOCIAL EVENTS

  • International Womens Day

    Germany – Kassel, 08.03.2026 International Women's day

  • Crowd of people participating in a protest or rally outdoors in an urban area, with signs and flags. Primary sign depicts a cartoon of a figure sitting on a bench surrounded by flames, with text in German.

    Germany - Marburg, 27.02.2026 Restart of climate strike Fridays

  • A city street during twilight with glowing streetlights, busy shops, and pedestrians walking along the sidewalks while a police car is parked in the street with flashing lights.

    Germany - Kassel, 24.02 Four years of war in Ukraine

  • A group of protesters holding placards with images and names of individuals, standing on steps outside a building with a blue door, participating in a demonstration for human rights or justice.

    Germany - Kassel, 19.02.2026 Six years! In memory of the Victims of Hanau

  • Iranian protests all over the world

    Germany - Frankfurt - US Consulate, 16.01.26 Iranian protests all over the world

  • A group of protesters holding signs and flags walking on a sidewalk beside a police vehicle. Several police cars are parked on the road nearby. The scene takes place during daytime with leafless trees in the background.

    Germany - Eggolsheim, 21.12.2025 Demonstration Against the local section of the afd

  • Clown with face paint, red nose, colorful hat, and rainbow-colored umbrella talking to a police officer in uniform and helmet outdoors, with trees and other people in the background.

    Germany - Giessen, 29.11.2026 Demonstration and blockades against the reestablishment of the AFD youth

Portrait

  • Close-up black and white photo of a woman's face, focusing on her eyes and nose with dark hair framing her face.

  • Close-up of a woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles, outdoors with a blurry green background.

  • Close-up of a person's eye with detailed visibility of the iris, eyelashes, and surrounding skin in black and white.

  • A black and white photograph of a young man sitting outdoors, looking pensively into the distance, with a blurred horizon background.

  • A man with dreadlocks and facial hair sitting at a desk, wearing a black sweatshirt with 'JORDAN BASEBALL' printed on it, looking at the camera with a serious expression.

  • A young woman with wavy hair sitting on stairs at a subway station near a metal railing. She is wearing a varsity jacket, light-colored pants, and sneakers, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression. There is an illuminated sign in the background that reads "Frankfurter T".

  • A woman with face paint resembling a sugar skull, with a blue heart-shaped paint on her forehead, black teardrop and dotted designs on her face, and colorful paint on her cheeks, set against a dark background.

  • Black and white photo of a woman smiling with curly hair, wearing a fur-lined coat, hand gripping the coat's collar.

  • A person curled up on a boat's deck, hugging their knees, with long hair covering their face, surrounded by thick ropes in a dark environment.

  • A woman in a white dress crossing a pedestrian crosswalk in an urban park area with palm trees, fountains, and buildings in the background, captured in black and white.

Wildlife

  • A large, furry, black and white mountain goat resting on a grassy hillside with colorful autumn foliage in the background.

  • Three fluffy dogs with dark fur in a grassy field, with a landscape of hills and clouds in the background.

  • A herd of bison resting on a grassy hillside in a mountain valley under cloudy skies.

  • A bird of prey, likely a hawk, is captured in mid-flight with its wings spread, landing on a sandy surface with a blurred background of trees and sky.

  • Two young camels walking on rocky terrain with mountains in the background during dusk or dawn.

  • Silhouette of a bird perched on a railing during sunset or sunrise with a warm, golden sky in the background.

  • Young monkey standing on a ledge with a coastal landscape in the background, featuring city buildings and the ocean, during sunset.

  • Close-up of a sleeping dog's face, focusing on the fur around the eye and nose.

  • A monkey sitting on a twisted, leafless branch with a city skyline in the background.

  • A reindeer standing in a field with a blurred natural landscape and sky in the background.

  • A small fox standing in a green grassy field with tall grasses and dark trees in the background.

  • Close-up of a heron bird's head, featuring its yellow eye, long pale pink beak, and black and white feathered head against a blurred natural background.

  • Two storks standing on a nest on a tree branch, with blurred green leaves in the foreground and a blue sky in the background.

  • A white heron wading in shallow water along a shoreline, with the shore and wet sand visible in the background.

Let me see you
Christoph Rutenkolk Christoph Rutenkolk

Let me see you

2023-2025

I USED TO LOOK AT PORTRAITS
AND IT ALWAYS FELT TRIST.

TOO PERFECT.
TOO CONTROLLED.
TOO FAR AWAY FROM REAL OR HONESTY.

THIS PROJECT STARTED WITH A SIMPLE QUESTION:
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE STOP PERFORMING?

Read More