about
Michael Cuno is a German photographer whose work has centered on fashion, portraiture, editorial and advertising photography.
After studying economics, he followed his interest in photography, assisted photographers in Europe and continued his photographic education in California at the Brooks Institute of Photography and the Art Center College of Design.
He worked for several years in Los Angeles and later in New York. His editorial work has included Harper's Bazaar Español, Vogue en Español, Vogue Pelle, Black Book Magazine, Essence, Men's Health and Soma. Commercial and music clients have included Neiman Marcus, J. Walter Thompson, Polygram Records, Sony Classics, Universal Records and Profile Records.
Black and white photography has always been an important part of his work. In an earlier interview Cuno described the appeal simply: color can sometimes take something away from an image, while black and white brings it to the point.
press archive
fotohits magazine
Vor 13 Jahren kam Michael Cuno aus Deutschland in Kalifornien an, ausgestattet mit zwei Koffern und dem Ziel, ein Profi-Fotograf zu werden. Hinter sich ließ er ein Studium der Wirtschaftswissenschaften, das mehr Pflicht als der Neigung geschuldet war. Danach assistierte er Fotografen in Europa, bevor ihn der Rat eines Freundes zum Brooks Institute of Photography nach Kalifornien führte.
Die Sprachbarriere war zunächst eine Herausforderung, doch durch das internationale Umfeld entstanden Kontakte zu Models, Stylisten und Agenturen. Schließlich wurde eine freie Arbeit von Harper's Bazaar Español angenommen; weitere Auftraggeber folgten, darunter Vogue en Español, Men's Health, Polygram Records, Sony Classics und Universal Records.
Der Artikel beschreibt außerdem die Serien “Black Deluxe” und “Shell Shock” und Cunos damalige vollständig analoge Arbeitsweise mit Kodak- und Fujifilm-Material, Linhof-Großformat und Mamiya-Mittelformat.
Auch stilistisch ging Cuno seinen eigenen Weg. Für die farbige Modewelt ungewöhnlich arbeitete er häufig in Schwarzweiß. Seine Begründung: Farbe könne einem Bild manchmal etwas wegnehmen, Schwarzweiß bringe es dagegen auf den Punkt.
Kodak ProPass — “Catch A Rising Star”
Michael Cuno is on his way back to Europe, unless someone stops him.
The feature recalls Cuno arriving in California with two suitcases and a camera, studying at Brooks Institute of Photography and Art Center College of Design, and later working with fashion clients including Harper's Bazaar, Vogue en Español, Essence and Men's Health.
Starting Early
Cuno spoke about an early fascination with magazines and photography, followed by architectural photography in Germany. He soon realized that working with people — talking, interacting and creating together — interested him much more than architecture or still life.
Coming to America
At the advice of a friend studying at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, he moved to the United States. The language barrier was difficult at first, but California's international student community helped make the transition easier.
A Fresh Approach
After several years in Los Angeles, Cuno moved to New York. The article emphasized his preference for black and white photography and his belief that fashion is fundamentally about style, cut, fabric, form and feeling — not merely the color of the clothing.