Born on January 1, 1951, in Berlin

Jim Rakete began working as a photo reporter for daily newspapers, magazines and agencies while still at school. His initial focus was on the music scene. Even then, he portrayed stars including Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, Mick Jagger and David Bowie. From 1977 to 1988, he ran the creative laboratory “Fabrik Rakete” in Berlin-Kreuzberg, where he not only created the album covers for many musicians of the New German Rock scene, but also handled the management of artists such as the Nina Hagen Band, Spliff, Nena, Die Ärzte and Interzone. In 1988, his love of photography, which forms the center of his creative work, regained the upper hand. Since then, he has taken portraits of numerous big names in the German and international music and film industries, including Til Schweiger, Jürgen Vogel, Natalie Portman, Annett Louisan and Joe Jackson. In the 1990s, he commuted between Hamburg and Los Angeles, photographing and shooting music videos and commercials as Director of Photography, before returning to Berlin in 2001. After being given the opportunity to combine his great interest in people with politics for the launch of the magazine “Cicero,” he also photographed politicians such as Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Franz Müntefering and Otto Schily during this time. In addition to portraits of national and international stars from the music, film and art industries, his extensive body of work now also includes a number of film productions. For example, the documentary “NOW,” released in 2020, depicts Rakete’s commitment to climate policy and once again connects his creative work with his political interests. But a longing for the artistic is also evident in the documentaries – and so he went on to make films, including one about the actress Iris Berben and a theater film with Susanne Wolff. Jim Rakete has retained his “black-and-white perspective” to this day, even when he photographs in color. His work is characterized by precise composition and a striking directness. Rakete’s pictures have long since become art and can be found in important collections such as the German Film Museum in Frankfurt and Museum Folkwang in Essen. He has lent new perspectives to portrait photography in Germany. To this day, he ensures that people are not reduced to raw material that needs to be artificially optimized, but that their real image appears – unique, unmistakable, and unforgettable. For these achievements, he was awarded the Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (English: Officer’s Cross) in 2018.