Walter Schels

C/O Berlin

Walter Schels (b. 1936 in Landshut, Germany) is one of Germany’s most important photographers. After early stints as a window decorator in Barcelona, Geneva, and Toronto, he began to focus on photography in New York. When he returned to Germany in 1970, he became known for his impressive portraits of famous people such as Joseph Beuys, Angela Merkel, and the Dalai Lama, as well as animals and flowers. He created numerous photographic series and long-term projects that reflect his documentary interest in extreme situations of human life.