"30 Years of Gieske Studios: From Photo Studio to Creative Media House"
By Marius Rieg · · 2 min read
Summary: Gieske Studios was founded 30 years ago as a photo studio for advertising catalogs and has kept reinventing itself ever since - from slide film to digital photography to CGI, film, and interactive applications. The common thread - betting on new technology early instead of chasing it later.
At year's end I like to take stock, but this year the occasion is a special one: Gieske Studios turns 30. Founded as a photo studio for advertising catalogs, today a media house spanning photography, film, CGI, and interactive applications – in between lies a story of constant change that I've witnessed up close since 2009.
From slide film to the first turning point
In the beginning, everything was shot on analog slide film – every image a physical original, every correction a new shoot. The switch to digital photography was the first major break in the company's history. Gieske Studios was among the first studios in Germany to make that move, rather than waiting to see how the technology would develop. That attitude – trying new tools early instead of adopting them only once they're standard – has stayed with us ever since.
From product image to interactive experience
The second major shift came with social media and the change in consumer behavior that followed. Photography and moving images have since become more than tools for product presentation – they've become tools for interaction and communication. That fundamentally changed how we work: pure image production grew into a dedicated department for concepting and campaigns, plus a film department and a CGI department, both of which have kept growing ever since.
A demanding year, still looking forward
2025 wasn't an easy year for the media industry as a whole – strained economic conditions hit budgets and planning certainty for many clients. Even so, I mostly look ahead: adaptability, not any single technology, was already the real strength behind the company's first two turning points.
What I expect from 2026
The next turning point is already taking shape: interactive applications and AI-assisted workflows are changing how we conceive and produce content right now. That's exactly what I'm working on, at Luftschloss and at Gieske Studios – not as a replacement for the craft, but as another tool that belongs in the work early, before it becomes standard.
Conclusion
Thirty years of Gieske Studios is, to me, mostly proof that continuity and change aren't a contradiction. Whoever tries new tools early without losing their craft stays relevant – across a technology shift and, it turns out, across three decades too. Thank you to every client and partner who's been part of this journey with us.