Thomas Hartstang
Vita
(Co-Author)Thomas Leben, as a photographer, spans the spectrum from analog photography with his own developing lab in his youth to digital art photography. He is self-taught but also frequently photographs with others, for example on trips to the Dolomites, Spain, or Northern Norway. He is Vice President of the Schleswig Photo Club.
Finding subjects to transform into photographic dreamscapes requires patience and a keen eye. Seeing what seems inconspicuous. Capturing what remains hidden to most. That's the outdoors. The searching and finding, the walking, perhaps even climbing; covering distances, getting wet feet. Hoping for the right light, enduring the rain or the blazing sun. This is where it all begins. The camera creates the photographic RAW file. In the studio, post-processing takes place: adjusting the composition, colors, depth of field, and contrast. These active image-making measures always adhere to the rules of photography competitions, in which Thomas successfully participates both nationally and internationally.
His photographs are regularly featured in solo and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally.
Furthermore, he regularly collaborates with his wife, the painter Stephanie Hartstang, on works created in dialogue, a small selection of which is shown here. here can be seen (further details can also be found in Stephanie Hartstang's biography).
Contact:
Publications (Co-author)
- “Capsized: The Pandemic Lockdown,” Ink Gladiators Press, 2020 (Co-Author)
- The Fall and Rise of Chimeras, Ink Gladiators Press 2020 (Co-Author)
- “Gray: We Hide Our Colors Within,” Ink Gladiators Press, 2021 (Co-Author)
- Several annual calendars since 2023 "East Coast Calendar"
- "Tom H.: Crafting Dreamscapes from the Familiar" by Jonathan Hale, FineArtsNews
- Global Lens: Interview with Thomas after his 2nd place at GlobalLensAwards 2025
Awards
- Academy Photo Awards 2026: 10 x Honorable Mention
- Artistic Photo Awards 2025: Honorable Mention
- LumEarth Awards 2026: 4 x Honorable Mention
- FineArt Photography Awards 2026: 2 x Honorable Mention
- Appointed „Excellence de la Federation Internationale de l‘Art Photographique“, 2026
- Global Lens Awards 2025: 2nd place and 10 honorable mentions
- Epson Pano Awards 2025: 1 x Silver Award, 2 x Bronze Awards
- Head On Photo Festival 2025: Honorable Mention (4th place)
- International Photo Awards 2025: 2 x Honorable Mention
- Nexus International Photo Awards 2025: Gold and Silver Medals
- 44th Int. MountainScape Sunderman Competition 2025, Poland: 2nd place
- 2nd Global Photo Foundation 2025: Honorary Ribbon of the Indian Photographic Association
- Appointed "Artiste de la Federation Internationale de l'Art Photographique", 2025
- 1st International Circuit Photostock 2024: Circuit Chairman Choice Gold Medal, 2024
- DVF Nordmark thematic competition "Contrasts", 2024: Certificate, overall 3rd place
- Tower Circuit 2024, Serbia: Honorable Mention from FIAP
- North-Baltic Sea Photography Championship 2024, Theme “Large and Small”: Certificate
- Honorary ribbon of the Indian Association of Photographers, 2023
- Silver Performance Medal of the German Association for Photography, 2022
- BALKAN DREAM 2023 (Serbia): "Balkan HM" and "Diploma Salon"
- MPC NPC GRANADA 2023: 2 "Salon Diploma"
- Concept photo Banja Luka 2023 (BIH): "National Diploma"
Exhibitions
- Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, September 2026
- Concept exhibition "Changing Perspectives - Changing Perspectives" with Stephanie, Maike Osterkamp and Jörg Böttger, Schleswig City Museum,2026
- Group exhibition "Add On 2025" Ted's World of Imaging, Sydney CBO, 2025
- Joint exhibition "Head On Awards 2025" Sydney, Bondi Pavilion, 2025
- Exhibition "(Cultural) Landscapes - a painterly and photographic exploration" with Stephanie, Premium Mobile Kuntz Gallery, Gettorf, 2025 / 2026
- Exhibition "In Dialogue - Painted and Photographed" with Stephanie in Kiel,2025
- Exhibition "Schleswig - painted and photographed" with Stephanie, Schleswig City Museum,2024
- curated group exhibition "Art in the Castle", Gelting Castle, 2024
- curated group exhibition "Art overcomes Boundaries 2024", Wittkielhof, 2024
- Exhibition "Selection of Hamburg Motifs in Watercolor and Photography" with Stephanie at the "Hamburger Kunstgalerie", Hamburg, 2024
- Solo exhibition "Hamburg in Watercolor and Photography" with Stephanie, Galerie im Levantehaus, Hamburg 2024
- Group exhibition at the Kunsthaus Kappeln,2023 / 2024
- Group exhibition qvartr Gallery, Hamburg, 2023
- Exhibition “Watercolor and Photography in Dialogue” with Stephanie, Rosarium Glücksburg, 2023
- Exhibition "Watercolor and Photography in Dialogue" with Stephanie, Kunstraum Sörup, 2022
- Open Studio Day, Atelier Südereiche,2022
- Group exhibition at Galerie Monopol, Berlin, 2022
- 2 x Group exhibition at Galerie Lachenmann Art, Frankfurt, 2022
- Online exhibition LensCulture.com,
2021 + 2022
