After studying »Visual Arts« in Düsseldorf and subsequent studies at the HFBK in Berlin, Duettmann spent several years as longterm assistant of Hans Hansen and Annie Leibovitz.

He then started his own career as a photographer, shooting editorial assignments for magazines such as Tempo, Stern, Rolling Stone, Vogue, L'Uomo Vogue and Elle...

After more than 20 years in the business, Uwe Duettmann's portfolio reveals a wild crazy-quilt of images that raise an eyebrow or sparkle a smile, featuring everything from serious portraiture and glossy auto shots to bizarre, otherworldly scenarios that could only be conceived by the wackiest of minds.

»If you look at Irving Penn, he's not thinking of shooting landscapes or people or still life,« he notes. »It's a bit the same with me. I don't care about what I'm doing, it's more about how I can express myself in different ways.« Featuring everything in his impressive career, the German-born photographer has been adorned with every major award in the advertising community, from the »Cannes Lion« to the »ADC New York«.

No matter what the project, Duettmann remains the consummate collaborator. His ultra-easygoing manner reveals no hint of the ego, yet he maintains the confidence of someone who knows he can get the job done. »All I need is good direction,« he says. »It's like jumping off a plane in a parachute. Even if the target is just one meter by one meter, I'll land on it.« On a more personal level, there's a reason why Duettmann's photographs often inspire a grin, even a laugh. »I'm not a nurse, but I'd love to help people enjoy life better,« he says. »It's bizarre working in advertising and wanting to achieve that, but I try to bring the human aspect into it.«