French culture had a tremendous influence on my work, my identity, my tastes and preferences.     To come back to your question; absolutely. Growing up in Germany has had a big influence on my work, I owe a lot to my roots! Just for starters; I graduated from one of the best Photo/Film/Design Schools in Germany and benefited from a great education. It is the best base for everything, no matter where you grow up! But already before college (thanks to my family, friends and teachers) I was always exposed to art, politics and international culture. The most important "purely" German influence was certainly the groundbreaking developments of the Weimar Republic that still echoed after all those decades. All the great painters, writers, photographers, architects, (i.e.The Bauhaus), and specially the German Film with the work of directors such as Friedrich Murnau, Fritz Lang and Josef von

Sternberg had a big impact on me. Then later on, the New German Film with guys such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Wim Wenders, Werner Herzog and Volker Schlôndorff. In this context it is important to mention that when you grew up in West Germany the confrontation and the learning about the shadow-side of German History such as the wars, the Nazi-time and everything that came with it was unavoidable. I believe that as a result I must have developed a certain taste for a more cosmopolitan life-style, a curiosity and tolerance for different cultures and mentalities and a good sense for everyday cultural developments. Bottom-line is that I am very grateful for my upbringings; they contributed to who I am today. KW: What made you pick up a camera and start at the age of 13?

TR: For both, my father and grandfather photography was a hobby. My grandfather wasactually a serious amateur-film-geek. So I grew up with Super 8 and started to film occasionally on trips and family vacations when I was 11 years old. I loved the medium but wanted more control and I found that photography was the field to be in. When I was 13 I bought my first camera and grated it up to a Nikon FE two years later due to a school workshop. I think I fell in love with being in charge and overcoming certain personnel boundaries. If you are that young walking up to strangers on the street and asking them if you could take their portrait right there on the spot that feels like kind of a risk to take. It was exciting! KW: What's the best advice for fashion photographers starting out their career?