Charlen Christoph

As part of my work at the Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art, I am responsible for the photographic documentation of museum objects.

The goal is the high-quality visual capture of art and cultural assets for archiving, research, and digital and printed publications. I photograph a wide variety of objects – from sculptures to smaller artifacts – taking into account conservation requirements.

My tasks include lighting, professional handling of sensitive objects, as well as image editing and color correction for the most faithful reproduction possible.

The resulting images are used for collection databases, scientific purposes, and publications, contributing to the long-term digital preservation of cultural heritage.

I regularly photograph events within the Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art.

This includes documenting exhibition openings, holiday programs, and cultural events with the aim of authentically capturing the atmosphere and key moments.

In addition to classic reportage shots, I place particular emphasis on atmospheric compositions that can be used for press work as well as for social media and internal communication.

For an exhibition at the Sculpture Collection and Museum of Byzantine Art, I was responsible for the design of an exhibition catalog.

The project included layout design and the preparation of image content. The goal was to present the exhibited works in a clearly structured and aesthetically pleasing format.

I worked closely with the curator to optimally align content and design.

As part of my work at the Cultural History Museum Magdeburg and the Museum of Natural History Magdeburg, my focus was on the photographic documentation of museum objects and collection items.

I have photographically captured museum objects from various material groups – including historical artifacts, natural history specimens, and art historical exhibits. The emphasis is on precise, detail-oriented, and color-accurate reproduction to make the objects usable for scientific documentation, digital archives, and publications.

A significant part of my work involves careful handling of conservation requirements and photographic execution under controlled lighting conditions. The goal is to depict the surfaces, materiality, and state of preservation of the objects as authentically as possible.

A further focus is on visual support for public relations, including the photographic documentation of exhibitions and events.

Additionally, I created portraits of the museum director and curators and produced image material for various print and digital media. In doing so, I pay attention to target-group-oriented visual language and consistent visual quality.

Through the combination of documentary precision and aesthetic standards, versatile image series are created that support both external communication and internal and scientific requirements of the museums.

As part of my work at the Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics, I was responsible for the photographic and design-based visual communication of the institute.

My tasks included photographic documentation of research processes, laboratory environments, and scientific equipment, as well as creating portraits of scientists. Additionally, I photographed the interior and exterior architecture of the institute to make it usable for public relations and publications.

In addition to photography, I was also active in graphic design, creating various visual materials for internal and external communication purposes. This included layout and design work, as well as the development of individual design concepts.

A special project was the design of wall designs (wallpapers) for the sanitary area, combining functional requirements with a design concept.

Through the combination of documentary photography and applied design, a versatile visual identity for the institute was created.