Photo-aesthetics is understood here as a collective term for theories that seek to scientifically describe the laws of images, the representation of their special appearances, special objectives, methods and styles, their symbols, and the performance of images in comparison with other design mediums; in short: their individuality. But the development of new theories also forms part of this field. General and descriptive photographic aesthetics become special and projective, appearing coherent as the theory of an artist or author, but often challenging and provocative with speculative and future-oriented theses. Its aim is the expansion and methodological renewal of photographic language. This book conveys both aspects. It contains a selection of twenty texts by the author from 1965 to 1990 and at the same time offers an insight into the progressive development of a mental image in terms of form and content, from the early descriptive attempts at photo-criticism to the justification of a special one based on the artistic practice itself. Generative photographic aesthetics lead to the design of a comprehensive spectrum of photography that includes historical and current issues. The author, a professor of artistic principles of photography at the University of Applied Sciences in Bielefeld, has engaged with this topic for years through numerous publications and exhibitions. The reader can follow, exemplarily and step by step, the exciting path of his thoughts in this anthology, which is supported by numerous examples of stimulating images from international photographers and his own work.