Face-Off

My current avatar has been in service since 2016. Back in the day, we asked the incredibly talented Florian Ziegler to be our photographer for WordCamp Frankfurt. And oh boy, he did! To this day, I think of these photos as some of the coolest shots of any WordCamp ever.

I vividly remember telling Florian to try and take a sneaky shot of me, because I was in dire need of an authentic but professional avatar back in the day. He did, and I was so happy with it, I kept it for years and years.

Simon in an empty auditorium

I rarely do anything half-assed, and have been struggling to find a proper replacement for it ever since. After a 24-month quest to find the perfect shot worthy to be my avatar for the next 9+ years, it’s finally done!

During WordCamp Europe 2025, the fabulous Florian Ziegler did the impossible once again! This time he failed to take a sneaky pic from afar but managed to catch me mid-action in one of the media rooms. It’s a new angle, and at least for me, that took some time to get used to. So, without further ado, this is the new me, staring directly into your souls for the next couple of years.

Simon, smiling while looking directly at the camera in front of a dark background.

I guess it will take me some time to update my face everywhere. In the meantime, you should check out Florian’s fantastic photo bloghis Zines, and the really cool picu plugin for photographers.