All images and text by Michael Schauer. Used with permission.
I am Michael Schauer, a 27-year-old landscape and nature photographer, photographing since late 2014 and hailing from Munich, Germany. During my Sociology studies I picked up photography as a new creative outlet and started out with the forests and mountains surrounding Munich but soon found that my heart beats for the cold and northern landscapes. In my work I look for new ways to interpret places and stories through my own creative point of view, giving it a surreal twist in hopes that the viewer can relate to the feeling of solitude and calmness.
Why did you get into photography?
Coming from a musical background, I looked for another creative outlet after my band broke up. Photography reached out her hand and didnât let go ever since.
What photographers are your biggest influences?
Ansel Adams but mostly painters like Caspar David Friedrich and Bierstadt.
How long have you been shooting?
Since late 2014.
Why is photography and shooting so important to you?
I want to show others how I see things but itâs also a means to express myself freely and better than I can with words or writing.
Do you feel that youâre more of a creator or a documenter? Why?
Nowadays more like a documenter yet still I pour in personality in each photo, assessing carefully what to convey.
Whatâs typically going through your mind when you create images? Tell us about your processes both mentally and mechanically?
Mostly lightroom, natural light, as few adjustments as necessary.
Tell us about the project that youâre pitching, or your portfolio.
North is a fictional story around a photographic essay covering a polar expedition gone rogue. It combines written elements with striking imagery of several trips to Iceland, Switzerland and the German Alps. The aim is to show the reader the vastness and harsh beauty of a world covered in snow and ice, albeit through the perspective of a troubled seaman.
See the full project on my Behance site.
What made you want to get into your genre?
Honestly, I just wanted to see amazing places and tell their stories.
Tell us a bit about the gear that you use and how you feel it helps you achieve your creative vision.
For my photographs, I mainly use my Nikon D800 with either a 24-70 or a tele-lens to get a bit more surreal due to close ups and compression or my Dji Mavic Pro Drone.
What motivates you to shoot?
Interpret everything in my own vision, new ways of telling well known stories, leaving my mark on the world. The challenge to shoot things in new ways. Those things.
Find out more about Michael Schauer and his work on his website, Behance portfolio, 500px, and Instagram.
