German analogue photographer Jan Remschnigg has spent the past two years documenting a subject most people rarely notice: CCTV cameras. His ongoing photographic project, Observation, turns the lens back toward the devices that constantly watch us, framing them as curious, sometimes ironic protagonists within the urban landscape.
“We often overlook them, while they never overlook us,” Remschnigg says.
The project began shortly after he started working seriously with analogue photography in 2024. After attending a darkroom workshop and learning to develop black-and-white film himself, he began photographing everyday scenes while travelling. During a vacation, he noticed a surveillance camera mounted inside a train station and instinctively took a photograph.
At the time, it seemed like an ordinary image. Later, it became the first photograph in what would grow into a long-term series.
Because of the unexpected impact of that initial image, Remschnigg began deliberately seeking out surveillance cameras as subjects. By centering the devices in his compositions, he highlights their presence within the architecture and infrastructure of cities.
In the early stages of the series, shot primarily on black-and-white film, the cameras often appear stark and imposing.
“In black and white, I was especially interested in the aggressive and almost threatening appearance of the cameras against dark backgrounds,” he explains.
As the project developed, Remschnigg shifted toward colour film in 2025. This change allowed him to explore a different visual relationship between surveillance and the built environment.
“With colour photography, I focus more on how the cameras relate to their surroundings and how subtly they blend into everyday spaces.”
So far, the project has grown to include more than 150 documented surveillance cameras, photographed in cities including Berlin, Augsburg and Prague. The images form a quiet commentary on contemporary urban life, where observation and anonymity exist side by side.
For Remschnigg, the work ultimately reflects the nature of photography itself. “Photography is about observation and awareness of our surroundings,” he says. “This project is a way of reflecting that relationship.”
The series will soon appear in a new self-published zine titled CCTV1, which will present the growing archive of images dedicated entirely to this body of work.
Jan Remschnigg is an analogue photographer and visual artist based in Germany. His work focuses on observation, urban space and everyday structures, often explored through long-term documentary projects shot on film. Originally trained as a stonemason, he is currently studying social work, an experience that continues to shape his artistic perspective.
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