Christoph G. Olesch

CHRISTOPH G. OLESCH

Professional Photographer

Tulip In Flames

2011 marks 55 years of photography for Christoph. He took his first photograph at the age of 7 in Honduras, Tegucigalpa, when his father bought him a Kodak Brownie Box. Christoph: “I remember it clearly, to this day. I was hooked.”

Of the over 100 rolls he shot between 1957 & 1959, none of the photographs exists today (Inca ruins buried deep within in lush forests) – but he remembers many of them. Somewhere between the uprising of a revolution in Honduras and the shuffle of moving back to the states, all was lost. His family escaped in the middle of the night with only the clothing they had on their backs.

Christoph grew up in what is known today as Wrigleyville. After a lot of begging, his brother loaned him a Canon. Self taught, he became commercially serious about photography at the age of 14. For years he walked the length of Chicago’s lake front and ethnic neighborhoods, from Rogers Park to downtown, photographing parks, doorways, flower beds, sculptures, landmarks and people. He began selling many of them to friends and local small businesses; he hustled his photography to strangers on the streets, for a buck. It paid for his cigarettes, more film, cameras and accessories.

Christoph’s career revolved around industrial photography in the Midwest – product and advertising campaign images – for customers such as John Deere, General Motors, Briggs & Stratton, Harvester, Caterpillar, Waukesha Engine, et al.

Additionally, throughout his 43 years of creating professional images, he avidly pursued and developed a clientele for his fine art, as well as commissioned portrait, wedding and world renowned artists photography – photographers Joel-Peter Witkin, Herman Leonard and Kimiko Yoshida, Claude Andreini; musicians Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Honey Boy Edwards, Lonnie Brooks, Tatsu Aiko, Yoko Noge, Erwin Helfer, George Freeman, Shirley King and other world renowned and accomplished artists such as Jim Dine, Dread Scott and Cat Chow.

Over the years, Christoph has developed numerous photography courses, seminars, workshops and white papers in product photography, advertising, wedding, fine art and image composition, as well as exhibiting in juried art shows and solo exhibitions throughout the Midwest. His musician photography has been published in trade journals throughout Europe.

Retired in 2007, Christoph has now again started to pursue several commercial photography venues for fine art, book publication, photography workshops, advertising and his website Christoph – The Art of Seeing – a presence for his on-line photography courses, photography art in general and promoting highly talented, aspiring photographers.

 “Life requires art, because art expresses us and who we are and need to be.” – Christoph