Stefan Dotter

Dotter was born in Bamberg, Germany on April 16th 1993. He currently lives and works as a visual artist focusing on the mediums of photography and film between Berlin and Tokyo.   

In 2012 he founded the interdisciplinary culture publication Whitelies Magazine, positioned as a cultural and visual dialog between the Asia-Pacific and what we perceive as the west. He currently runs the magazine from the position of Editor in Chief of the publication, which has published 9 issues so far.   

Stefan has been a consultant for the United Nations since 2019, working in education with UNHCR, teaching the next gerneration of photographers in Afghanistan in a joint effort with photojournalist Farzana Wahidy.  

In spite of his versatility, Stefan Dotter’s work is especially captivating because of its uniform writing, minimalist formal language and simple aesthetics, often drawing from Japanese influences. His series’ read like the continuous documentation of a precise and aesthetic view of the world, like the constant observation through the lens of an ingenious autodidact. 

Selected clients + publications: Adidas Chanel Dior Givenchy Hugo Boss Lacoste Maison Martin Margiela Montblanc Tiger of Sweden Thom Browne United Nations Atmos British Journal of Photography Document Journal Forbes Huffington Post Monocle Numéro Purple Magazine Revue Twin Vogue Zeit Magazin


website / instagram


Red torii gate on a rooftop shrine surrounded by modern city skyscrapers under a clear blue sky.
Weathered wooden shed wall in Bamberg, Germany, with an old white fence panel leaning against it and dense green vines growin...
Underwater view of aquatic plants and lily pads in a calm river in Bamberg, Germany
Framed by dark tree silhouettes, a tranquil blue seascape stretches toward distant mountains under a clear sky in Tokyo, Japan.
Tranquil coastal sunset near Tokyo with distant mountain silhouette over calm sea and dark rocky shoreline in the foreground.
A handheld Sekonic light meter and a single red cherry rest on a sunlit white table by a frosted window in Tokyo, Japan.
Minimal still life of a Japanese dessert and cherry on a white table by a frosted window in Tokyo.
Minimal still life of fruit on a table by a frosted glass balcony window with bird stickers in a Tokyo apartment.
Minimal still life of a glass bottle with amber liquid, decorated with ginkgo leaves taped on with red tape, on a light table...
Minimalist interior in Tokyo with large grid windows featuring abstract floral artwork and soft daylight reflections on the f...
Tourists with colorful umbrellas walk through a lush rose garden under a clear blue sky in Tokyo, Japan.
Minimalist still life of an egg yolk resting on a dried autumn leaf against a light blue background, Tokyo, Japan.
Artistic close-up of an egg yolk resting on a green and yellow ginkgo leaf with water droplets, photographed in Tokyo, Japan.
Flat lay of green and yellow ginkgo leaves with a small blue Japanese hand fan on a white background in Tokyo, Japan.
Black and white cows resting on a dry hillside above the deep blue sea on Sifnos island, Greece.
White cat sleeping on a sunlit white wall under a clear blue sky in Sifnos, Greece.
Traditional whitewashed houses with blue doors and windows in a sunny courtyard on the island of Sifnos, Greece.
Woman in a bright blue jacket taking a photo with her phone on the windy deck of a ferry near Sifnos, Greece, with deep blue ...
White fluffy cat sitting on a whitewashed rooftop under a clear blue sky in Sifnos, Greece.
Wild yellow daisies and dry grasses glowing in the late afternoon light on a hillside in Sifnos, Greece, with dark blue water...
Wooden utility pole with a red X mark in front of whitewashed architecture under a clear blue sky in Sifnos, Greece.
Cat with a blue bandana drinking from a yellow water bowl beside a stone path in Sifnos, Greece.
Minimalist whitewashed church wall with a cross overlooking the deep blue Aegean Sea in Sifnos, Greece under a clear summer sky.
Sunlit trees casting long shadows against a tall white construction fence in a quiet park in Japan.
Sunlit traditional Japanese wall with stone base and tiled roof, casting tree shadows over a garden with a small pink floweri...
Weathered urban building facade in Japan with a bright blue tarp hanging over rough concrete and metal panels.
Yellow sports car parked on a quiet traditional Japanese village street with wooden houses and forested mountains in the back...
Quiet alley between traditional wooden houses in rural Japan, with yellow flowers blooming beside an electrical meter box.
Moody interior of a traditional Japanese wooden onsen bathhouse with a long indoor hot spring pool lit by soft daylight from ...
Large green lotus leaves growing in front of a metal shutter and brown wall at night in Japan.
Small traditional Japanese shrine surrounded by overgrown grass and scattered debris in an urban neighborhood.
Japanese schoolgirl standing alone on a quiet rural train platform surrounded by green hills and small houses.
Sunlit pine trees on a coastal hillside overlooking the sea in Japan.
Sunny street scene in Bamberg, Germany, with a small house with red tiled roof and flower-filled balcony at a fork in the cob...
Sunlit cherry blossoms in full bloom against a dark forest backdrop in Yoshino, Japan.
Spring view of cherry blossom trees in full bloom in Yoshino, Japan, with cascading white-pink flowers against a blue sky and...
Minimalist view of a white church facade with a Virgin Mary statue niche and cross under a clear blue sky in Puglia, Italy.
Snow-capped Mount Yotei rises over the quiet rural landscape of Hokkaido, Japan, with a lone cherry blossom tree in the foreg...
Two young people eat together at a small, cozy restaurant in Hokkaido, Japan, sitting by a bright window under wall calendars...