Tobias was born and raised in an artistic household in Duesseldorf, Germany.

His father was a trained actor and an impressionist painter. Tobias started his career as a photographer at the age of 14 by taking class photos at his school and photographing a friend’s art for a catalog. While in school, he started as a freelance photographer for the RHEINISCHE POST, the area’s largest newspaper. After graduation, Tobias served his mandatory time in the German Bundeswehr as a photographer in the Ministry of Defense.

Following his Wehrdienst (military service), Tobias moved to New York City, where he started working as a photojournalist for HUBERT BURDA MEDIA and AXEL SPRINGER VERLAG, two of Germany’s leading publishers of magazines and newspapers. Other media clients soon followed, including STERN, DER SPIEGEL, TEMPO, FAZ, ZEIT MAGAZIN, SZ MAGAZIN, AD, VOGUE, and others. Corporate clients include LUFTHANSA, SIEMENS, PANASONIC, MERCEDES-BENZ, and others.

As a photojournalist and portraitist, Tobias works with minimal equipment, taking advantage of available natural light as much as possible. As a photographer, he focuses on storytelling through observation and capturing the essence of personalities. Through countless assignments for several European publications, Tobias captured all facets of the American sphere, especially in a time of increasing polarization. Recent journalistic coverage showcasing this technique range from George Floyd’s funeral and protest marches during Black Lives Matter to Trump Rallies.

When not on the road, Tobias concentrates on his art projects. Influenced by the pop art of Andy Warhol and David Hockney, Tobias has focused on a combination of collages, crescendoing series and beauty in everyday objects. Swimming Lemons and Calla Lillies are notable early works, followed by the award winning Badende Baguettes. In the late 2000s, an emphasis on mirrored images incorporated into collages drove the series Double Take.

In the early 2010s, the photography world was revolutionized by the iPhone and the proliferation of high quality cameras in the average consumer’s hands. Tobias leaned into this evolution, emphasizing the importance of capturing the “every day” in photographic art. It also marked an increased focus on color in art, evolving from an emphasis on black and white prints. Book projects like Ripped Faces and Recent Works are prime examples from this period of Tobias’ work. In Flat Sodas, a recent exhibit series, Tobias pays homage to Andy Warhol’s early fixation with daily consumer products. It is also a callback to Tobias’ fascination with Warhol’s soup cans that started during Tobias’ first visit to America in the early 1980s. The incorporation of antique imagery drove both Taking Flight and Altered History, which, respectively, use old postcards as canvas, and combine antique glass negatives of prior generations with objects of modern day.

Tobias’ large format series have included exhibits at the DESIRON Gallery in New York City and selections at the DEUTSCHE BOERSE in Frankfurt. As writer Michael Streck describes them: “His works reflect a conscious break with the familiar and the ordinary. They are just like New York City: surprising. Fresh.” His art is part of private collections in the United States and in Europe.

The intersection of journalism, portraiture and art is prevalent through Tobias’ work, including notable works like Dr. Walter Pierpaoli, a collage-based journalism piece, Don King, a silhouetted artistic portrait and others. Tobias’ Assorted Portraits of news story subjects while on assignment also showcase this intersection.

Tobias lives with his family and two dogs in Harlem, New York.