How it all began – From chessboards to horsepower shoots

Born in 1976, it all started in 1991 in the quiet town of Halle (Westphalia) – not with a roaring engine, but with the gentle ticking of a chess clock. Young Sascha, then the school chess club’s top player, grew increasingly bored of endless matches and searched for a more creative challenge. A turning point came in 1992, when he first held a camera during an afternoon class. Suddenly, he discovered how shapes, light and perspective could tell stories – and devoured every book on photo and video design he could find.

From critical eye to car magazine fever

Just a year later, in 1993, Sascha found his second passion: car magazines. Every turn of a page sparked new excitement – the glossy cars fascinated him, yet the photo spreads seemed, even to his young eyes, somehow amateurish. His legendary comment to a trade show photographer, whose shots he bluntly called “trash,” earned him early trouble but also an important insight: good equipment only matters when used with skill.

First steps with a compact camera

In 1996 Sascha began his first ventures into automotive photography – with a simple compact camera he received as a birthday gift. Meeting with Opel tuning clubs, he documented the scene and shot thousands of pictures of tuned Opel Corsas, Kadetts, and even Zafiras. It quickly became clear: without a proper camera, it just wouldn’t cut it.

The leap to SLR – and back again

In 1998 he invested in his first Canon SLR, but was disappointed: poor autofocus and blurry results soon led him to switch. A Casio compact camera with a quirky “snorkel” lens became his next choice, while in parallel he sharpened his editing skills in Photoshop (from 2002 onward) and looked for a proper successor to the Canon. Slowly, the focus shifted away from wrenches and oil changes to the perfect shot and professional web design.

The digital age and brand testing

Throughout the 2000s Sascha tested cameras from various manufacturers: from early Sony Alpha models, to a Nikon D80, the reliable Nikon D5100 and D5300, and later the rugged Pentax K30 and K3. Each camera shaped his style, but only with the Sony A7 II, later the A7 III, did he feel truly at home.

From tuner to media creator

Alongside his photographic development Sascha remained rooted in tuning: as proud owner of an Opel Manta B Exklusiv he traveled to brand-open events, which he finally brought online in 2013 under the TuningHunter label. His goal: to present the fascination of automotive design to a wider audience – without brand limits and with a journalistic approach.

Creative new beginnings despite setbacks

Health setbacks and the Corona crisis delayed Sascha’s dream of full self-employment. Yet the forced break gave him space to further refine his photo editing and web design skills. While others paused, he worked autodidactically on new techniques and concepts – always with an eye on the next level of photographic, and now also editorial, perfection.

Today: multi-platform presence & industry recognition

Today Sascha is not only the operator of TuningHunters.com, but also a sought-after photographer for auto shows, tuning events, magazines, and car businesses. His images decorate flyers, dealership displays, and online portfolios of major workshops. With multiple websites he covers classic and youngtimer topics, offers individual single-shootings, and writes the reports for the events he attends himself.

A life for automotive eye candy

For Sascha, automotive photography is far more than a job or a “click” – it’s a calling. Every new shoot, every retouch, and every web update follows the aim of capturing the “tuning spirit” in its purest form. He combines technical precision with artistic flair and always stays true to the scene: no detail too small, no perspective too daring.

Outlook

With his unbroken drive Sascha is planning further projects: live-stream documentation of tuning events, exclusive workshops for aspiring photographers, and his own online magazine, which is already in its infancy. One thing is certain: his journey from the quiet chess clock to the horsepower-loaded camera click has only just begun. And we can be excited to see which motifs he will bring into the right light next.

Let’s celebrate the fascination for automobiles – the way it deserves to be celebrated!