We start with something to warm up first.
Who has ever taken a picture?
No matter if with smartphone, compact camera, mirror reflex.
Once hands up.
Madness! Now it gets really interesting.
Who looked at this photo later and learned something?
A classic would be here z. B. Finger from the lens.
Okay, at least. For me that was actually more often the case.
I have learned through photography,
that many things that make a great photo,
can also be “transferred” to my everyday life.
These are not the really weird things right now.
We’ll talk about that.
In the case of photography, it just made me literally click.
Whenever I’m in another area,
z. B. Fitness, diet or business had problems
or did not achieve the desired result, I asked:
“If it was a photo, would I do it the same way?”
Sure, you can always improve something. The question is how.
That’s why it should be today
around these philosophies or guiding principles that I have taken from photography
and adopted in my everyday life.
For me it’s photography or landscape photography.
It can be something completely different with you.
No matter, as long as you are burning for it, you will certainly find parallels.
Let’s start with point 1:
If you want extraordinary results,
you have to leave your comfort zone.
Extraordinary, not ordinary.
When I say to the seller at the checkout in the supermarket:
“I want to compliment you on your beautiful hair.
Such a great hairstyle. I just wanted to tell you that. “
Now she does not say to me, “Please 3.50.”
It will say “Yeah, thanks” or give me some discount coupons
or tells her husband at home in the evening:
“Today someone praised me in the hair shop.”
Something will happen.
In any case, it differentiates me from the customer before
and from the customer to me.
Let’s talk slowly about photography.
Who recognizes where this photo was taken?
You can say it quietly.
That’s where I heard it. Yosemite Park. This is the so-called “Tunnel View”.
Beautiful park, wild bears. Super area for hiking and hiking.
The exact effort of this photo: zero.
I took this picture directly from the parking lot.
5 meters from the paved road is a detention bay.
So you go in and take the picture.
Dozens turned the picture in the same direction to my left and right.
Very nice picture and definitely very beautiful landscape,
but not exceptional in that sense.
I spoiler ever, this picture is also from the USA.
Who can tell me where?
(laugh)
I do not hear it yet.
So someone somewhere mumbled San Francisco. I agree.
Again a very nice picture, with which I connect really great memories.
But is it extraordinary? Same game again: Where are we?
Sorry? – Whoever that was: hit.
I did not expect that.
I wanted to say, “See, that’s the difference.”
(laugh)
Because …
(Applause)
Because in the first two pictures, maybe I have a little bit
scratched at my comfort zone.
You have to get up early to catch the good light,
or get off some cliffs at the Golden Gate.
But this is a completely different house number,
my comfort zone was no longer in sight.
In the heat of the day I’m packed with camping gear, camera gear,
Food etc. wandered up to 4000 meters.
You have to think about one of the highest mountains in the Alps,
The Matterhorn is only 500 m higher. So there’s something going on.
It starts like a normal hike.
But up there is black lava gravel.
You sink ankle deep and then slip back a step.
Really exhausting! After a few hours, I made it and came upstairs.
It was really bad,
because unfortunately I had a hammering headache.
I would have loved to get into the tent right away and finish.
Of course I did not, but?
I sat outside and waited for hours.
It was now cold and night.
Hammering headache and the volcano – no spark.
At some point he released me.
The fountain left and the picture was taken.
The man said it right, the volcano is Fuego.
The lights in the background belong to the city of Antigua in Guatemala.
The volcano is highly active – you have to say.
The outbreak itself is not exceptional.
But I definitely left my comfort zone and I hope
you see it like me, the result is extraordinary.
Let’s say “leave comfort zone”,
Huaylas should not be missing in the Peruvian Andes.
Extremely remote, alone the approach with the Colectivos –
the buses – is an adventure in itself and very exciting.
One week we were hiking there.
We – that was a local guide, a donkey driver, my girlfriend,
which can be seen in the picture, and myself.
Then of course the 4 donkeys who helped us with the luggage.
This area is very remote.
There is no infrastructure there,
no roads of course and no power grid or something.
There is not even mobile, but running water, some streams.
Then you draw out the drinking water and fish.
All very outdoor adventure.
Unfavorable: During the time I was there,
Unfortunately the water came from above. It was raining very heavily.
Anyone who has been hiking for days in the rain,
built a tent in the wet and then crawled into the sleeping bag,
who knows, there are more pleasant things.
Add to that the height.
There is really no area outside the Himalayas
which has such a high density of 5000s and 6000s.
For a local who grew up there,
maybe it’s not the most beautiful,
in the rain pass high, pass down to run.
My comfort zone is somewhere else.
It did not bother me, because you will be rewarded
with a view or landscapes,
you do not see that often and that’s why in my portfolio
take on an extraordinary status.
Do you want extraordinary results?
you have to leave your comfort zone.
Point 2: Believe in yourself and take a little risk.
Let’s take football, penalty. Everyone watch: who shoots?
You transform, you are the great hero.
If you miss it, there are in the worst case beating.
Or me here now: dry mouth. “All eyes on me.”
But everyone has doubts now and then, that’s normal.
Belongs to it, is not bad.
Only, I believe that many are aware of their fears or doubts then
block a bit too much.
At the beginning of the year I was in Finnish Lapland for 3 months.
At the time, it was not only icy winter, but also the so-called “kaamos”,
better known as polar night.
During this time, the sun is no longer over the horizon
and it therefore remains largely dark.
In addition, the area is sparsely populated
and there are actually fewer people than reindeer.
Accordingly, such a picture is quite common.
Time was a single adventure. Temperatures of up to -42 ° C.
You have to introduce yourself.
Your fish sticks at home are at -18 in the freezer.
It is unbelievably cold.
Snow – I’m not exaggerating here – meters high.
Without snowshoes or skis you sink waist-high.
I tried it. You can not move. It’s not working.
You will be rewarded in many ways.
The nature is beautiful, especially the polar lights.
Fabulous for me. Natural spectacle beyond compare.
Many nights I stood outside with my mouth open,
I looked at the lightshow. Absolutely adorable.
In addition, I am a big animal lover and with the huskies and the sled
to heat by this nature is definitely a lot more exhausting,
as you may imagine. But it is so cool. So really awesome.
The landscape, I said, for me the best of course.
Such things as this light and these trees,
which deform under the weight of the snow and form sculptures.
Enchanting.
I had my reservations in advance.
3 months in winter, etc. is something.
But I believed in myself and it was definitely worth it.
It stays white, but this time it’s not snow, it’s salt.
This is the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia.
Is actually a lake with meter-high water,
but a thick layer of salt on top.
So thick, you can drive on it by car.
That’s why there are also many tour operators who offer it.
We wanted to do it all on our own,
decided against such a tour and drove with their own car.
In the run-up there were many people who advised us against it.
Especially because the salt layer is not consistently thick,
but also thinner and there are so-called. Ojos, salt eyes.
If you drive in by car,
you may not bubble directly into the water,
but you may break the axle or otherwise have an accident.
The area is so big. Most of the time you really only see white.
There is no GPS, there are no roads or anything.
We actually navigated the compass directions.
Since the area is so big, pictures that play with perspective,
extremely popular.
You get a sense of how infinite the whole thing feels.
In 3 days and 2 nights we crossed this lake.
During this time we got to know the absolute loneliness.
There is no animal on the salt, no lights from any city.
You do not hear a lot of noise – a bit of wind or something.
Like you’re on another planet.
Again, there were risks
and I would not blindly recommend it in general.
I think everyone has to decide for themselves
and not in advance
put off by any horror scenarios.
While both examples have just targeted a bit,
that one should overcome his fear of failure,
the picture is about sometimes knowing better.
This picture I saw on a postcard during a trip to Mexico.
I thought it was so nice that I wanted to take a photo.
So I went to this city – that’s called Chamula.
When I arrived, it was already dark. The sky was closed.
There were clouds and the volcano in the picture,
I did not see that at all live.
So I went to a store with the postcard and asked:
“Where can I take the photo, is there a viewpoint?”
The man, the local, said to me, “This is a photomontage.”
The statement amazed me extremely, because that was a local
a grown man who had a business, etc.
But he did not understand how the focal length of a telephoto lens
He thought, because the volcano is very far away,
he would have to be very small in the picture.
For me was out of the question, the picture is not a montage.
The next day I was able to implement this recording.
But that was once again one of the points where I thought
you just have to believe in yourself and stay true to yourself,
Do not let other things out-talk.
Point 3: Stay persistent and believe in yourself!
We’ve already spent some time together
and you are already sitting a bit.
That’s why I would ask you
all who are physically able to get up for a short time.
Very Nice. Thank you. You ask yourself, “What does he want?”
Honestly, nothing more. That was it.
For one, I wanted to get your circulation going again.
Please, you’re welcome. For another, I wanted you again
to remind you that getting up is no problem for you.
You may sit down again, do not get it wrong.
I do not mean that I want to scare you away.
But for most people, getting up is easy.
But think about toddlers.
Until you can stand as elegant as we are right now,
that takes time.
That will not happen overnight, but if it works, of course – easy.
This picture from the Villnößtal in South Tyrol
is representative of many of my photographs.
In landscape photography you learn patience.
There are so many factors that you simply can not influence.
Wind, weather, clouds, all these things.
Who gives up the first time has lost in principle.
Same situation, same location, same photographer, same equipment,
even the same time. Everything is the same, only the result is different.
I just went back another day and tried again.
Cenotes are limestone caves in Central America.
This one is a bit hidden in Mexico.
Most cenotes are filled with water.
You can swim and dive in there. This one is dry.
But all cenotes have one thing in common:
It’s dark in it, it’s caves.
To take a picture there, you either need a flash –
that is not so useful in landscape photography.
If you turn up the ISO value, the picture quality deteriorates.
Or: You could use a tripod.
I opted for option 3, a tripod.
The only problem was, this cenote can only be entered with a guide.
Tripods are prohibited there. So what did I do?
I took a guide aside and convinced him in conversation
that he does not just do an individual tour,
but actually both eyes shut.
Also here: staying power pays off and brings you in the end.
The nice thing is: Shortly after I published this picture,
The “National Geographic” came to me and printed the picture.
A very nice confirmation for your own work.
Since I was traveling in time, my mother was so kind
Skype to send a picture of the issue.
Tikal, probably the hottest Mayan site ever.
Legendary area, very original.
There are actually still free-standing jaguars and crocodiles, etc.
Very exciting. The thing is, you are allowed in purely with a guide.
So we booked a guide and the next day he should pick us up.
He did not do that. So what to do?
We drove there on our own.
There you come to a barrier and there are people who take care
that you can not go in there. What did I do?
30 minutes, longer than this talk here, half an hour
I worked and tilled them to let us in.
After half an hour, they gave up and let us pass without a guide.
Actually an absurdity, but also here: Persistence pays off.
Point 4: Be spontaneous, recognize opportunities.
Landscape photography has different approaches.
I personally plan a picture in advance
and wonder exactly what the picture looks like before I drive to the location.
I then visualized everything exactly in my head – in theory.
In practice it often looks a bit different.
That’s why you have to stay spontaneous in photography,
react flexibly to a situation
and make the most of what you have.
But there are also other situations like these,
they just run into each other.
I drove the car and saw on the street,
Here these beams go through the forest, enchanting the air
and make this nice effect.
Right range, picture taken. Spontaneous photo.
Same here. Nature makes me ready.
I did not know that there is such a thing.
A dry river,
which is now covered with green grass.
This location never seen or expected. Stumbled upon it by chance.
Spontaneous photo, unplanned.
This one, too, you may see more often, nevertheless, it is beautiful:
A colored sky reflects in the ice.
Unscheduled photo, spontaneous picture.
My favorite: the sun going down in the middle of Fitz Roy
and conjure up this awesome halo effect.
When I took this picture, I had been traveling in this area for days
and had photographed the mountain from all angles.
But when I ran down there and saw this effect, I knew:
This is a killer shot. I ran there, took the picture.
To this day it is one of my favorite pictures in my portfolio.
Created from the spontaneous situation.
Also a thing that taught me photography.
Recognizing spontaneous things and, above all, using them.
Slowly we come to the end. That’s almost it.
I have one last, important point
I would like to share with you.
Item 5: be grateful. Is just really like that.
How beautiful the earth is,
I first saw through the viewfinder of the camera.
I think you should always go forward
and try to do something. That’s all important.
But: one should keep the view for the whole always somehow.
Be grateful for what you have
and especially for those with whom you can share it.
Today you are. Thank you so much for listening. Many Thanks.
(Applause)
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