ENTRY DESCRIPTION
Back Story
In Search of Silence
“Nothing has changed the nature of man as much as the loss of silence,” wrote philosopher Max Picard after WWII. In 1953, the doomsday clock was two minutes to midnight.
Today, the clock again is at two minutes to midnight. More than seven billion people live on earth. Megacities emerge and with them mountains of waste. The earth is heating up.
One song on Roger Waters latest album begins with the voice of Donald Trump. "Is this the life we really want?" Water asks.
With my photos, I want to create a counterpoint by showing silent moments with the intention of taking the viewer away from the noise of everyday life.
AUTHOR
I am fascinated by gloomy views, by dark and heavy clouds, and by huge snow walls and snow corridors. Most of my images are created on the edge of daylight. I prefer to work during soft light because there are no locked shadows or harsh highlights. That time at the border of daylight or under a cloudy sky, has less contrast, so I like to incorporate diffused light, rain and falling snow into my work. Such conditions create the opportunity to reduce an image to gray tones and strong contrasts.
The majority of my most powerful experiences have emerged when I have been outside my comfort zone, when my wife and I are travelling on foot and only carry the bare essentials that fit in our backpacks. A mountain tour during a cloudless day is usually a beautiful event. However, the same tour during a snowstorm can be a truly unforgettable experience. How such an excursion ends depends on you have prepared for it and the ability to say “that’s enough for today” and turn back when it is necessary. Sitting in a small tent, during long days of rain when everything is wet and cold can be a boring and unpleasant experience. During such moments, I sometimes wonder why I bother doing such a thing, but when I return back home the first thing I usually do is start to plan the next short or long stay outside the comfort zone.
Such thoughts have had a strong influence on my work that has been presented in “My Work” and “Portfolio”
I live with my wife in a small town in the Emmental region of Switzerland.
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