Walter Schels, born in 1936 in Landshut, Bavaria, is a highly versatile artist. He started out as a window dresser (working in Geneva, Barcelona and Canada) before discovering a love of photography which took him to New York in 1966, where he became a photographer. He returned to Germany in 1970 and worked successfully for illustrated and fashion magazines, and in advertising. From 1975, Schels spent several years capturing the moment of birth in a series of photoreportages for the parentsÂ’ magazine Eltern. The process of photographing children only a few seconds old led him to develop a growing fascination with faces. Schels soon became known for his portraits of artists, politicians and other prominent figures in cultural and intellectual circles. For many years he has brought the same intensity to his portraits of animals.
