Natascha’s journey into professional photography was shaped by her deep appreciation for aesthetics and storytelling, which she honed while studying media design. Over the years, her fascination with nature and remote landscapes has led her to breathtaking destinations, from the icy fjords of Greenland to the depths of the ocean, where she continues to push creative and personal boundaries.
I always had a camera at school, events, or family vacations. As far as I can remember, I’ve always loved capturing everything I’ve experienced. I got my first SLR camera when I was 18, and my sense of aesthetics became more pronounced as I studied to become a media designer.
I took my first real photography trip with two school friends right after my vocational training – I invested all my savings to embark on this journey. We went to Iceland, and I immediately fell in love with the photogenic beauty of the Nordic countries. For me, there is nothing more inspiring than nature in all its forms, and that is exactly what I strive to capture.
My photo that won the Best of the Week was taken during one of my sailing expeditions to East Greenland. On the last morning of our journey, we woke up to dense sea fog with visibility reduced to just 10 to 20 meters – not the most ideal conditions for a long day of sailing ahead. We slowly maneuvered through the cold waters of the fjord, knowing that icebergs might emerge from the fog at any moment. As the sea fog finally started to lift a bit and the sun slowly made it through, large pieces of ice lined up in front of us with remnants of mist wrapping around the sharp peaks. With the calm water and the soft light rays hitting our wooden schooner, it created the most magical scenery I have ever seen. I found myself torn between simply soaking in the moment and capturing this extraordinary atmosphere with my camera.
Photographing only the icebergs in the mist wouldn’t do justice to the whole atmosphere I was experiencing there, so I wanted to capture the unique view I had with the details of our beautiful over 70-year-old wooden sailing boat in the soft morning light in the foreground, and the massive misty icebergs in the background. I aimed to give the viewer the same feeling I had standing there on this special morning.
For editing, I opted for a cold and clean look while highlighting the soft and warm light on the foreground details. I love the Arctic hues of blue that convey the cold and purity of places like this.
I rely on the color grading tools in Lightroom when editing. In all my photos, you’ll find cold shadows with a blueish-magenta touch and a more yellow/orange touch for the light. Using complementary colors is always a good idea in my opinion and it works perfectly for most of my photos. Besides that, I love playing around with contrast, aiming for a cinematic look with soft light created through mist filters while taking the photos. An interplay of soft light with dark shadows usually catches my attention in nature, so I aim to highlight this in my editing process.
Photography, as most people know it, encompasses far more than just taking pictures. It includes everything from preparation to editing and beyond. I bring my whole self into it, and that is what makes both a photograph and a photographer unique. Personality, vision, and experience all shape the final image, as do the lessons learned along the way:
1) Patience:
I think time and patience are the most important components when it comes to nature photography. Whether it’s wildlife or a special light mood in a landscape – it usually comes unexpectedly and can rarely be planned. So the more time you spend outdoors, the higher the chance of catching a moving moment.
2) Storytelling
In addition to that, storytelling is extremely important to me, and you can only achieve great storytelling if you observe the situation and your environment and pay attention to the details around you. It’s often the smallest details that really bring a photo series to life and create a certain mood.
3) Find your niche:
It has always been important for me to stay true to myself and my photography and editing style. I am a media designer by profession and have always loved it when everything just aligns aesthetically. I find it fascinating when I discover the work of photographers where I can recognize, at first glance, the world in which this artist moves. Especially in travel photography, it is always impressive when photographers immerse themselves deeply in a certain world and convey as much of it as possible to the viewer.
4) Don’t let your expectations drag you down:
Nowadays with social media, it often happens that you travel to certain places with specific expectations. But when you visit them yourself and it just doesn’t look the way you imagined it – because the weather isn’t on your side, for example – it can quickly become frustrating. I’ve learned over the last few years that it’s simply not in your hands, and you shouldn’t let it drag you down. Just work with what you get and maybe focus more on details. In the best case, you’ll just have a good reason to return to this beautiful place.
There is always something new to learn, and I actively apply my experiences to grow as a photographer. Last year, I immersed myself in underwater photography. After spending so much time on the water, it felt like the most natural next step to take photos underwater too.
My biggest dream has always been to document the great herring hunt of the orcas and humpback whales in the fjords of northern Norway, and it took a lot of bravery and self-confidence to make this dream come true. So I spent the entire winter season in the icy fjords photographing my favorite animals in their natural habitat, diving into their world, and hearing them communicate. Not only did I fulfill my lifelong dream, but I also mastered the challenge that came with it. I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of my photos than I am of these!
At the moment, I am happy with how things are going. My partner and I are both self-employed photographers and filmmakers, and I really love the flexibility that comes with it. Of course, there are always dream clients I’d love to work with and dream shots I have in mind, especially wildlife I want to see one day, and that’s what keeps me going and growing.
Beyond personal ambitions, I also want to inspire people – to encourage them to reconnect with nature and raise awareness about our fragile ecosystems. In the future, I see myself dedicating more time to conservation photography, using my work to drive positive change for our beautiful planet.
Natascha is a passionate photographer and media designer whose love for capturing the world around her began at an early age. Her journey into professional photography was shaped by her deep appreciation for aesthetics and storytelling, which she honed while studying media design.
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