About my book
Opus 110 contains Schelp’s best work of both worlds analogue and digital. Schelp hand-picked his previously unpublished work, not an easy task, considering that Schelp’s personal selection of analogue photographs counts alone 4500 images. Schelp undercover in photography stopped working in a commercial context, a couple of years after winning Cannes Grand Prix at the International Advertising Festival in 1999 for Sony PlayStation "Nipples". With this book, he is now back in the daylight, shooting against all odds to make it big in fashion, to realize his true dream to be a fashion photographer.
"OPUS 110 has got 111 photographs, if you count the two on the cover. The photographs are taken from the years 1988 until 2022, that is 88/22 and that is 110. 110 is also the number for the german police. My life was always a bit on the edge and drama, so I thought OPUS 110 is a good title for a best of."
Opus 110 (29,5 x 39cm / 112 pages) is currently selfpublished in a limited edition (not for sale) of 11 + 1 aritist print.
My photograph "Nipples" for Sony PlayStation is never out of fashion ...
A non-conformist approach, how I work ...
The photographic style of Tomas Schelp is best pictured as spontaneous. He loves the unforeseeable event and little accidents, which makes his photos unique. A world where everything has to be perfect and no faults are permitted, is a dead world with no life and no character.
Tomas has a strong sense of aesthetic and is looking for the character within the person. He likes to activate the wild and emotional side of people, their drive and appetite for freedom. Tomas likes to move around uncommon locations with efficient and small teams or just alone with his model. Trust and comfort between all participants is very important for him. Once acclimatized, he shoots fast under cloudy skies, which supply for him the perfect light.
He favor's dusk and dawn atmosphere and sometimes the night. Feels at home in the studios, as long as they provide an aura. He hates factories of mass production and mindless retouching. Most of the time, he does his own retouching. He is a very dedicated art- and picture editor too, only timeless and strong shots survive his personal selection.