Who are you and what do you like to photograph the most?
I'm Michael and I've been regularly taking part in national and international photo competitions in the field of travel and landscape photography for years.
I am looking for mystical scenes of light and mist, which is why autumn is my favourite season. But I also have the right weather conditions right on my doorstep. A jungle made of fir trees and surrounded by many castles - the wild Black Forest.
In addition, an endless curiosity about different cultures and landscapes drives me again and again to new journeys or adventures around the globe. I am particularly fascinated by South-East Asia, especially Myanmar, which never fails to magically captivate me. I have experienced fascinating encounters with Buddhist monks there, documented the sulphur hell of Java or the volcanic landscape on Java, but the northern countries have also cast their spell on me.
During my childhood, no camera was safe from me and so my fascination for photography initially led me to the Albrecht Dürer School for Art and Media Design in Düsseldorf.
After that, I had a slightly longer break but my passion was rekindled by some traveling and various outdoor activities. So I slowly started again and kept looking for new impulses through various workshops and tutorials.
By the way, once I have my camera in my hand, I forget all sense of time and even manage to set off for the next exciting situation in the middle of the night or early in the morning - which is otherwise rather untypical for me.
That's a difficult question with a Lightroom catalogue of about 30,000 photos and the answer is always changing. I feel it is always changing with new experiences and images. My current favourites include the fisherman at blue hour in China, the ice caves in Iceland, and Lake Ellbach in the morning mist.
Don't put so much emphasis on technical equipment and let the hype about even more megapixels pass you by, ignoring the constant theoretical technical talk and pixel peeping in forums - instead go out and take pictures. That's what makes you better - not the latest camera or the "best" lens. That was a long path of understanding for me too 😉
Furthermore, it has helped me personally to take my time, to pay attention to details in the surroundings, and above all to invest enough time in planning and preparation.
After working with Fuji and Sony cameras, I have returned to Nikon and am currently using the Nikon Z 6II. I use the Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 and the all-rounder Z 24-120 f4 most often.
For me, it's the perfect all-weather outdoor jacket for photographers and, depending on the layer, it can be worn in almost any season. I also like the parka look.
I was out and about with it at -15 degrees and used it to keep my camera and drone batteries warm or have my remote release ready at hand. On my last trip to Iceland, I had a lot of rain and gale-force winds, but the jacket kept both off extremely well. I also constantly needed a cleaning cloth for my lenses, which, is conveniently attached to the sleeve of the jacket with a clip, otherwise my cleaning cloths would still be flying around Iceland now.
In addition, the colours are very good for landscape photos.
When the situation in Myanmar has hopefully calmed down to some extent, I would like to go there for the fourth time, also because I now have some personal contacts there. In addition, I still have a Nepal tour to do, which was postponed due to the pandemic.
From the southeast, I'm also drawn to the north, to the northern lights in Iceland, the Lofoten Islands or the Faroe Islands.
