Welcome to my website! My name is Benedikt Hild, and I specialise in staging fascinating miniature worlds. Originally from the lovely Palatinate region of Germany, I discovered my passion for photography with tiny figures in my new hometown, Mannheim.

My first short films

I first held my very own camera in my hands at the age of 12, and I immediately started shooting my first short films. Over the years, I have made countless short films focused on my home region. I achieved my greatest success at the age of 18 with my short film "Normal Pfälzer Day", which was awarded with the Bürgermedienpreis of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, among other prizes. The eight-minute film provides insights into typical everyday life in Palatine in a humorous way.

My world tour

At age 19, I wanted to explore our globe and went on a backpacking tour to New Zealand, Vietnam and Japan. During this time, I learned to go through the world with open eyes and to be inspired by different cultures.

Fascination with miniature photography

Due to my studies in business informatics, I moved to Mannheim in 2017. Not long after I arrived, the idea of a creative photography project that celebrated unique perspectives arose. I have always been fascinated by the model figures in the Miniaturwunderland in Hamburg (the largest model railway in the world), so I came up with the idea of staging my own small miniature scenes in Mannheim. At first, I only shared my photographic works on my Instagram channel @littlemannheim, but the desire to publish my pictures in my own photo book soon emerged. In 2020, this dream became reality when I published my first book entitled Little Mannheim. The first edition of this book became real thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign and the support of many Mannheim residents.

From hobby to profession

My passion for miniature photography led me to other exciting projects, including Little Pfalz and Little Heidelberg. As my projects expanded, I published more books, calendars and postcards in my own publishing house, and these quickly became very popular. They are now available in over 50 bookshops, and more than 10,000 copies of my 'Little' works have found owners around the world.

Working with various companies, I create customised miniature photographs for their websites, posters and marketing campaigns. What started as a hobby has turned into my full-time job, and I quit my job as a business information scientist to devote myself entirely to the world of miniature photography.

So, if you see a man lying on the floor with an SLR camera in the future, feel free to approach him! It's very likely to be me, creating a new miniature scene :-)

Photo: © christiangaier-photographie.de