Max Leitner came to the US from Germany to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a student, his photography began to reflect an interest in the city's hidden, unexplored spaces, and he started to make a point of shooting daily, inspired by Chicago’s architecture, density, and what he describes as the city’s “very specific light, a mixture of sun-filled yellow and reflected gray tones.” For a decade, Max traveled the United States, primarily focused on urban and lifestyle photography. Max has since returned to Germany and continues his work with a focus on typically inaccessible locales in Europe and Asia.

Regarding the editing process, Max admits to strong opinions on the term “filter,” viewing filters as physical attachments to a lens and everything that occurs afterwards on the computer to be a “treatment.” For his own editing, Max prefers to approach the RAW file with Lightroom and then move to Photoshop to make any further refinements.

Instagram: @maxleitner