Berlin radiates the relaxed serenity of a man who has found his artistic path. As I watch him thoughtfully leaf through his work, it becomes clear to me: Here sits someone who doesn't use photography as a means of self-promotion, and for whom nudity is not an end in itself, but rather a starting point.
His own photographic journey began with childlike curiosity: The "grown-ups" were always walking around with these mysterious devices, and when he was allowed to take a borrowed camera to kindergarten, the excitement was immense.
After eagerly taking pictures, he naturally wanted to see the images immediately. Without hesitation, he opened the camera and pulled out the film — only to find, completely baffled, that no pictures were visible. The camera must be broken, according to his childlike logic.
He learned from this early technical debacle: for his first "real" photo session later, his turtle served as his model. "At least it was patient," he grins.
Today, at 61, he laughs about these beginnings. In his "world's smallest studio," as he playfully calls his home studio in Bad Homburg, he creates works of striking intensity.
The real breakthrough for his current project came on a mild summer night in 2023 in Southern France. After an inspiring conversation with fellow artists, he knew: Now was the moment for the book — and Irina would be his protagonist.
The energy of this moment was so compelling that he contacted Irina the very next morning. Shortly after, she was sitting at the hotel pool in Arles while they reviewed the images from their last shoot on his laptop and feverishly developed ideas for the book project. Such spontaneous moments reveal the special chemistry of their collaboration.
What followed was a photographic journey through Germany, France, the USA, Hong Kong, Slovenia, and Italy. The result wasn't tourist snapshots with randomly placed models, but carefully composed images combined into exciting double-page spreads.
The result? A photo book that is far more than a "best-of" collection of nude skin. "Even when she's unclothed, she's never really naked," Berlin says about Irina. A paradoxical statement that makes perfect sense when viewing the images: Her natural presence, free from artificial accessories like elaborate makeup or artificial nails, gives the photographs a timeless, almost sculptural quality.
Even when she's unclothed, she's never really naked.
During our conversation, it becomes clear how much Berlin values the authenticity of the moment. His work process is as unagitated as it is effective. No blaring music, no hectic posing carousel. Instead: An hour of relaxed conversation, browsing through photo books together, only then does the camera come into play. "The best images often emerge when the original plan is thrown out the window," he reveals.
From the analog Hasselblad 501 CM to the digital Fuji GFX100II, his camera arsenal is versatile. With a clear preference for the 50mm lens. Yet more important than any equipment is the moment of encounter, the dialogue between photographer and model that shapes every image.
Berlin finds inspiration in classical painting: Dürer, Vermeer, Caravaggio. With a mixture of modesty and self-irony, he admits: "If I could paint better, I wouldn't need to photograph." Nevertheless, he plans to take a drawing course soon, not to abandon photography, but to better sketch poses.
The best advice regarding the photo book making came from Wolfgang Zurborn: "Don't go by what you know about your image, but only by what others can see in it."
This philosophy is reflected throughout his work. His personal favorite in the book? A black and white close-up of Irina's face with her characteristic hands — an image that deliberately breaks the old rule "hands away from the face."
The work, published in an edition of 200 copies (144 pages, thread binding), is by no means a conventional nude photo book. Rather, it invites viewers on a visual journey that leads each observer into their own world of thought. The coral red cover is more than just packaging — it's the first chapter of a story that each viewer is free to continue writing for themselves.
