• From Some Place Else showcases portraits of people rooted deeply in traditional cultures like the Kara tribe in Ethiopia, as well as new sub- and counter cultures like the Cosplay, LARP, Steampunk, Lolita Fashion, Punk and Hardcore culture. The series goes beyond the world of fantasy and explores the sense of safety and freedom these sub-cultures offer to "be who you want to be." At the core of these sub-cultures is the expression of make-believe and play, while also addressing the question of belonging, identity, and acceptance. Through his lens, Ulrich not only captures the costumes but also presents the invitation to the worlds in which these characters wish to live and the people they identify as.

    Despite its appearance, the series is not involving any digital process or even computer-generated (AI). Ulrich’s work is created through a traditional approach to black and white photography. All his works are captured on film using medium and large format cameras. Afterward, the film is developed in complete darkness with chemicals, and the negative is enlarged onto silver gelatine paper, which is then processed and developed in the darkroom. The oil colours are applied by hand through a multi-hour process of colouring and shading to achieve the final result. This hands-on, analogue process ensures that each print is unique.

Silver Gelantin Print 20x24”
Hand coloured with oil colours
Mounted on aluminium

  • According to Mannchen, “there are certain things and items in life that draw us in, especially as children: items that fascinate us because of their beauty, items that capture our attention because of their strangeness, items that stir our minds and take us on a journey in our imagination. Some of them never lose their effect on us, even when we are all grown up and have succumbed to being adults. Their fascinations still intrigue us after all these years. Such items help us to establish bridges to our childhood and in the end we experience, that it is never too late to have a happy childhood.”

    In the series “Lost Boys,” he photographs such items: things that evoke the inner child in him and never seem to bait his curiosity; things that spur memories of childhood when the world appeared bigger and the problems, responsibilities, and commitments were much smaller, a time when friendships were unquestionably solid, bills nonexistent, and time irrelevant. He brings us back to the past when “the only commitment was to our dreams.”

Silver Gelantin Print 20x24”
Mounted on aluminium