Martin Kohler has studied landscape architecture in Hannover and Adelaide. He works as publisher, researcher, lecturer and photographer in Hamburg, Berlin and São Paulo. Numerous research visits, workshops and fellowships to universities brought him to universities in Massachussetts, London, Rotterdam, Seoul, São Paulo, Istanbul, Barcelona, Prag or Daejeon.

The urban topics of these visits and spaces develop into photographic works as visual research or art project.

Since 2004 he is lecturing urban photography at the HafenCity University of Hamburg.