I started taking photographs when I was twelve years old, while I was still at school. My father was a woodcarver, and we didn't have much money at home – who needed carved lamps and figures in the post-war years? However, I had noticed something that was also a hindrance: My father never had anything to show when he was negotiating a contract. As soon as he had delivered a figure, it was gone – after he had worked on it for weeks. So I took his expensive camera out of the cupboard and started taking pictures of his work, photographing him at work. I tried out how I could literally show cupboards, chairs and sculptures in a better light – and started to stage them. In fact, my pictures soon helped my father more than recommendations and word of mouth. And I had learned my lesson: a picture is worth a thousand words. At the Stuttgart youth centre, you could take courses; I learned pottery, weaving, batik – and how to take better photographs. At 14, I set up my first black and white laboratory at home, and at 15 I expanded my business: on Saturday afternoons there was always a tea dance near me, so I went there and photographed the couples. The following week, I sold them the pictures. I won my first competitions, expanded my laboratory, was able to afford a moped when I was 16 and realised that good work brings a reward – for example in the form of money.