For Berlin-based DoP Adam Graf, lenses are not tools - they are emotional instruments. On a recent sportswear commercial shot in Kreuzberg, that philosophy shaped every frame. For Adam, cinematography begins with people - and the lenses he chooses must serve that connection.

He sees filmmaking as a shared emotional experience. That sensibility has shaped collaborations with brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Adidas, BVG and Lidl. In 2023, he received the Young Cinematography Encouragement Award for The Taster, a BAFTA-winning short shot on 35mm using TLS Cooke Speed Panchros. The film screened at Camerimage and earned the BAFTA Student Award for Best Live Action Short Film. His feature debut, Another German Tank Story, premiered at the 2024 Shanghai Film Festival, won the First Steps Big Audience Award, and screened in German cinemas throughout 2025.

At the centre of Adam’s visual language lies a deep fascination with lenses, particularly vintage glass. For him, lenses are not simply technical tools, they are emotional instruments.

The Project: Sportswear Commercial in Kreuzberg

For a fast-paced sportswear commercial, the brief was clear from the outset: create a raw, authentic feel that reflected both performance and everyday city life. The campaign centred around a new running shoe designed to function equally well as a daily trainer in an urban environment. To capture this, the team chose to shoot in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district, one of the busiest areas in the city, embracing the spontaneous, documentary-like energy of real life unfolding around the production.

Natural light formed the foundation of the shoot. Rather than constructing heavily stylised lighting setups, Adam sought the sweet spot between authenticity and a distinctly commercial aesthetic. Achieving this required leaning heavily on vintage lenses and careful colour grading to shape the final mood.

Lens Selection: Character Over Perfection

Initially, Adam had planned to use a single set of lenses, but he ultimately decided to combine two TLS-rehoused series to achieve precisely the character he wanted. The TLS Kowa Cine Prominars formed the backbone of the package. Adam was particularly drawn to their single-layer coating and distinctive rendering, especially the way they responded to sunlight. He selected the 15mm, 32mm, 40mm and 50mm focal lengths.

From the start, the 15mm stood out. Rare and dramatic, it produced bold rainbow flares when shooting into the sun. The 32mm and 40mm lenses offered a striking, almost three-dimensional pop in close-ups while maintaining an organic softness and separation. Even the 32mm allowed Adam to remain physically close to actors while achieving beautiful subject isolation, perfect for an intimate yet dynamic handheld approach.

Between the 15mm and 32mm Prominars, Adam felt something was missing. Testing the TLS Cooke Speed Panchros available at the rental house revealed that the 18mm and 25mm filled that gap seamlessly. The two lens families rendered colour slightly differently: the Cookes leaned warm, while the Prominars felt cooler. By adjusting the in-camera white balance by roughly 900 Kelvin, Adam was able to match them closely, allowing him to mix the sets fluidly without sacrificing cohesion. In the end, the final lens package consisted of the Kowa Cine Prominars at 15mm, 32mm, 40mm and 50mm, alongside the Cooke Speed Panchros at 18mm and 25mm.

Visual Impact: Natural Light Meets Vintage Texture

Because the lighting remained intentionally naturalistic, the lenses became the primary drivers of the visual identity. On a fortunate sunny day, Adam was able to fully embrace the vintage coatings. Sun flares became expressive tools rather than artefacts, contrast fall-off added depth without harshness, and the bokeh introduced subtle visual energy without distracting from the subject. The resulting image feels immediate and spontaneous, yet distinctly crafted.

Certain moments in the commercial demonstrate how each lens shaped the look. The 40mm Cine Prominar struck a balance between sharpness and fall-off, creating beautiful separation and textured bokeh, particularly in portrait-style shots. The 32mm Cine Prominar excelled with faces, adding dimensionality that lifted subjects from the background without losing naturalism. The 18mm Cooke Speed Panchro was ideal for wider shots that required character without excessive distortion, and its close-focus capability allowed tight close-ups with a subtle 3D quality reminiscent of the longer Prominars. The 15mm Cine Prominar, meanwhile, became the flare machine, creating bold rainbow effects when shooting into the sun, amplifying the urban energy and introducing visual unpredictability.

On-Set Experience: Built for Modern Workflows

The shoot was fast-paced and predominantly handheld. In this environment, the TLS precision mechanics and non-linear cam based focus system gives greater control to the focus puller, with zero backlash or image shift, all without compromising character.

Looking Ahead

Adam has been working with TLS rehoused lenses for several years, frequently choosing vintage optics adapted for modern production demands. His past projects have included TLS rehoused Canon FDs, K35s, Cooke Speed Panchros, Kowa Cine Prominars, Leica R, and Mamiya 645 with Speedboosters. Given his affinity for glass with personality, TLS lenses will almost certainly continue to feature prominently in his 2026 projects.

For Adam Graf, lenses are not about clinical sharpness or technical perfection. They are about emotion, about giving images texture whilst keeping human connection at the centre of the frame. And on a busy Kreuzberg street, beneath the bright Berlin sun, that philosophy shines through.

Discover More

You can find out more about Adam Graf on his website (https://adamgraf.eu/) or instagram page: @adamgraf_dp

Discover how a TLS rehousing can unlock the full creative potential of your vintage lenses. Contact us on +44 (0) 1455 848 411 or Sales@truelens.co.uk