The 2009 Kulturpreis of the Deutschen Gesellschaft für Photographie (the German Society for Photography) is being awarded to German-born photographer Wolfgang Tillmans.

The society praises Tillmans, who made his name in the 1990s by capturing the youth, gay, and club scenes in Germany, for work influenced by keen observation of his surroundings, a deliberate artistic play between perfection and imperfection, and innovative presentation. His work, which challenges the boundaries between practical and artistic photography, the society said, has "irrevocably changed the language of contemporary photography."

The prize has been awarded annually since 1959 in recognition of important contributors to the world of photography. Previous winners include Henri Cartier-Bresson, F.C. Gundlach, David Hockney, Man Ray, August Sander, and Wim Wenders. Last year's prize went to Steven Sasson, the inventor of the digital camera. Tillmans will receive the honor on October 3 at a ceremony at the Heidelberg Kunstverein as part of the third annual Fotofestival Mannheim_Ludwigshafen_Heidelberg.