Photographers

Vivian J. Rheinheimer

Photography has been a part of my life since I was 8. For a long time it was just a side project, like a good friend who is just there and who influences you more than you realize. I was born in New York, grew up in Hamburg, lived in Caracas for a long time and have lived in Potsdam for a few years. The spirit of these and a few other places has inspired me, in my perception, in my consciousness and therefore also and especially in my photography. I have also learned a trade, am a journeyman carpenter, I love details, structure, color, surfaces, I love dynamism and, again and again, details. I have been working as a freelance photographer for 15 years, specializing in historic vehicles and motorsports, but my portfolio also includes portraits, events, travel, etc. For all photographic subjects, I am guided by the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: You can only photograph well with your heart.

Mario De Rosa

My name is Mario De Rosa, born in 1968, and my motto is "Photography is like fishing: you need a lot of patience!" Translated, this means that I take a lot of time to compose the shot, sometimes waiting a long time until the last person has left the frame or the lighting is just right. The focus of my work is on capturing historic vehicles, ideally in a suitable context. This might be a half-timbered house in the background or an ancient marketplace where the vehicle is located. Stylistically, my photographs sometimes have a documentary feel, as I like to show artifacts in their entirety. With vehicles, for example, I find it important to capture their lines and the resulting body design in all their beauty. To achieve this, I use both modern and older methods. All of my black-and-white photographs, for example, were shot on conventional film. The impression a classic vehicle develops on negative material cannot be compared to that of a digital image. The natural fine grain of the emulsion creates an image effect that cannot be achieved through digital imitation. You can find me with my camera either at vintage car events or in museums, because the "hunt" for the ultimate subject never ends.

Lukas Ahrens

For Lukas Ahrens, creativity was never a phase—it was there from the very beginning. Born and raised in Einbeck, he began drawing at an early age and rarely let a day go by without a sketchbook. His first steps as a freelancer led him to product photography—but it quickly became clear: It wasn't the product that fascinated him, but the play with light, perspective, and atmosphere.

As a self-taught photographer, Lukas mastered the craft of photography and developed his own distinct perspective. Today—working full-time as a photographer and videographer since 2020—he not only captures subjects with his camera, but also tells stories. His images combine technical skill with a sense of aesthetics and depth—perfect for the visual language of the Retro Ride Gallery.