Photographer Sonia Aumiller is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From the project ‘Oktoberfest’. To see Sonia’s body of work, click on any photograph.

“the Oktoberfest” is a photographic series about the annual Oktoberfest in Munich, seen from the perspective of someone who has known the festival since childhood.

Growing up in Munich, the Oktoberfest was part of family life and local tradition. I remember quieter times when visiting tents such as the “Fischer Vroni” with grandparents felt natural and familiar. Today, the festival attracts millions of visitors, and many spaces have become increasingly crowded and difficult to access without reservations.

Rather than focusing on spectacle or commercial aspects, this series observes the atmosphere, traditions and human moments that continue to exist within the Oktoberfest. Through fragments, gestures and scenes of celebration, the work explores how cultural traditions endure while the character of a place changes over time.

Artist Statement:

My photography is rooted in observation and personal connection to place. I am interested in how traditions, social rituals and collective experiences shape human environments and cultural identity.

As someone from Munich, my relationship with the Oktoberfest is both familiar and evolving. The Volksfest has changed considerably over the years, becoming larger, more crowded and increasingly commercialized. Yet beyond this transformation, I remain interested in the atmosphere and traditions that still survive within it.

With this work, I am not seeking to document the Oktoberfest as spectacle or entertainment. Instead, I look for quieter details, fleeting encounters and visual traces of memory and belonging. Photography allows me to explore the tension between tradition and change and to reflect on how places we know deeply continue to transform while remaining part of our identity.

Short Bio:

Sonia Aumiller is a French-German photographer based in Munich. Her work explores atmosphere, memory, and human presence through documentary and artistic photography. Influenced by her background in design and fashion, she is drawn to cultural environments, quiet moments, and the changing relationship between people and place.

All images and text © Sonia Aumiller