TEHRAN -- German filmmaker-turned-photographer Gottfried Junker recently traveled to Iran to take photos of a number of Iranian visual artists for a book he is working on, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Sunday.

“One of my reasons for choosing Iran was the image being presented by the Western mass media, but I preferred to experience Iran myself rather than through the media,” the 56-year-old Junker said.

Since October 25, he has been guest of Iranian land artist Ahmad Nadalian, who has provided him access to a number of files introducing Iranian artists, 130 of whom will be selected for the project.

“My choices are based on my feelings, so it differs from the work curators and critics usually carry out. They regard many political and economic considerations in their activities,” Junker noted.

Junker has studied law and also worked as a nurse in hospitals. His credits include the TV films “Little Signs” (1982) and “The Path into the Forest” (1984) and the feature “Hidden Love” (1986).

After his feature-length “The House in the Macchia” in 1993, Junker gave up filmmaking and began working on art-related photography.

He uses the black-and-white technique in creating his works, which he believes will be economically successful in the future.

Junker plans to leave Tehran for Isfahan today to photograph the artists living in the city, which is famous for its artists and architecture.