German-born and Margaret River-based, Hannes Nitzsche has had his fair share of challenges adapting to the conditions in the South West, where wild winds and monster waves have proved a steep learning curve.
We sat down with the self-taught lensman to talk photography, travelling and creativity in the South West.
Your photograph, ‘Golden Loaf’, is featured as the Mail’s Facebook banner photo at the moment. Can you tell us a bit about the shot?
Sugarloaf Rock has got to be the most photographed icon in the Southwest, and rightly so!
It is one of my favorite spots to shoot at, but perhaps also one of the trickiest ones, and I try to come up with something unique every time I visit – Whether it is something as simple as a different perspective or including an interesting element or person, such as the branches in the foreground of this image.
How did you start your journey into photography?
As long as I can think back, I have always enjoyed being creative.
When I was a a teenager, back home in Germany, I played drums in several bands, I enjoyed drawing and creating things with my mates, and I always liked taking photos of these events.
I started taking photography a little more serious when my partner and I embarked on a two-year journey around Europe and Asia many years ago.
Before we started traveling, she bought herself a little Canon G12 point and shoot camera, which had the option of full manual control.
At the time I didn't know how to use any of these features but I nevertheless fiddled around with pretty much every button and menu setting this camera had to offer.
Seeing the resulting images of some of these experiments really sparked an interest in me.
Nothing is as rewarding as printing your own work and seeing it later adorn someone else's wall space and the smile it puts on their face!
- Hannes Nitzsche
Two years later I received a hand-me-down Canon EOS 400D DSLR camera from my sister.
At that point, the camera was already 8 years old (and completely outdated, to be honest) but it was the first time I had to actually sit down and think about what I was doing with this device.
How do I achieve a certain effect? What happens if I change THIS setting in relation to THAT ONE?
Thus, over the course of the coming three years I immersed myself fully into photography.
I watched every youtube tutorial that I came across, read books about the art of painting with light and - most importantly - spent as much time behind the camera as I possibly could.
I would carry my camera with me wherever I went and capture everything around me, much to the annoyance of everyone around me, haha.
Over the years I refined my personal style a lot and also became more selective in what I am shooting and started focusing (no pun intended!) more and more on panorama, landscape and astro (night-time) photography.
So, I guess it's fair to say that I am fully self-taught.
What sets the South West apart from other locations you’ve visited, in terms of photographic results and challenges?
Having grown up 6 hours inland in Germany, my biggest challenge was to get used to the strong winds, freak-waves and sea-spray (which loves to cover all the equipment and specially lenses) that you encounter when shooting by the sea.
And everyone who has lived here for long enough knows how rough the conditions can get at times.
I have had many close calls and nearly lost my camera a couple of times but I think I have gotten used to it by now.
What I really love about the Southwest is it's diversity and it's purity.
There are so many places out there that are completely untouched and that are just waiting to be explored.
And despite receiving such a high amount of tourism, it it still possible to find beaches in the region with not a single soul on them (quite a bonus for landscape photographers).
I just enjoy being able to take a time-out from the stress of everyday life by venturing out to the coast or along the rivers and discover the variety that the region has to offer.
Be it waterfalls, forests, winter storms, picture-book beaches, super interesting caves, autumn foliage, or the clearest night-skies I have ever seen, this part of the country is truly something special!
Do you enjoy taking part in photographic competitions and projects? How often do you get to collaborate with other South West creatives?
I am not entering too many competitions or awards, mostly because I don't have the time for such events.
However, last year I had the honor of having had two of my images published in the Kolor Panobook 2016 - an international contest for panoramic photographers.
I have had many close calls and nearly lost my camera a couple of times but I think I have gotten used to it by now.
- Hannes Nitzsche
Several images also received Bronze and Silver at the Epson International Pano Awards and I won the Southwest Development Commission's photo contest and had two images featured in their calendar.
Over the past three years I have received several prizes and mentions in different local and national competitions (Australian Traveler Magazine photo of the month, Unusual Expeditions Travel Photo Comp, Camerahouse photo comp, Western Australian Photography Federation (WAPF) Interclub competition, etc.) and have been working closely with the editors of the Capes Guide, which featured several of my images.
It's absolutely fantastic to be able to work with a lot of local businesses and to receive their support and feedback!
But nothing is as rewarding as printing your own work and seeing it later adorn someone else's wall space and the smile it puts on their face!
What can fans of your work expect from you in the future?
This year turned out to be quite eventful in my private life, hence why I haven't found the time to plan too far ahead in terms of galleries and projects.
I have however started teaching new photographers about landscape photography and post-processing and am offering one-on-one lessons for anyone interested in improving their skills.
Apart from that, my main focus lies on enjoying what the region has to offer and trying to capture as much of it as possible with my camera.
Every day that I can spend watching and capturing a sunrise or sunset in nature is a good day.
Check out more of Hannes’ work here: