I am Benjamin Hanke and the face behind „Blickpunkt Lokalsport“For more than ten years, I have been standing with my camera at sports fields in Bielefeld and the surrounding area, mainly covering amateur and youth soccer. My aim is to capture genuine emotions—jubilance, frustration, passion, and all the little moments that make a game special.

Many clubs now know and use my photos because professional photo shoots are not commonplace in amateur soccer. A large part of the photos are taken on a voluntary basis or for a small expense allowance, simply because I care about local sports and the people behind them. Most of the photos are taken by me, but I also receive valuable support from Lars and Niklas, who contribute their own perspectives.

What many people don't see at first glance: I only have about 10% vision in my right eye and 60% in my left. For me, this is everyday life—and it doesn't prevent me from taking good photos. On the contrary: I concentrate very consciously on image composition, situations, and timing. I'm only careful when driving and avoid driving long distances or unfamiliar routes in the dark because strong glare limits me too much.

Since 2018, I have also been living with an artificial bowel outlet (stoma) after suffering from ulcerative colitis for around 15 years. It is part of who I am, but it mainly affects my planning: having a toilet within easy reach is important to me, especially during longer assignments. On the pitch itself, it hardly matters—there, it's all about the moment, the sport, and the joy of photography.

Before establishing “Blickpunkt Lokalsport,” I worked for the public television channel Bielefeld (Channel 21). There, I oversaw video and content production as well as live events, ensuring that quality and presentation were up to standard. Today, I work in marketing for a large company in Porta Westfalica. My experience in media relations, technology, and communication flows directly into my work with Blickpunkt Lokalsport—combined with a lot of passion for local soccer.