Frederik Schindler
@frederikschindler
Best of the week 34 at #nomadict 2020
As a Director of Photography and shooting primarily commercials, music-videos, fiction and documentaries, my main focus and what I do everyday is related to the film industry. Nevertheless, photography has been a huge part of my life for many years. What I’ve learned over the years is that it is important to maintain your passion through doing personal projects.
It isn’t easy to find the right balance between work and personal projects, but it is utterly important. Sometimes I’m able to combine everything but that’s not often the case. Basically I always try to squeeze some little personal projects in between my work. For bigger personal projects I plan it like a work project, set a schedule etc. and it’s also blocked like a work project. When there is no really important inquiry I stick to my plan and sometimes cancel work projects for personal projects – always depending on the specific project and situation.
In addition to the value doing personal projects hold to me, I prioritize my family over anything else. Now that we got our second son it has become a little more difficult to give 100% to our family and work at the same time – I learned to separate it a bit more. Where I used to travel with my family when going on trips for work, I now try to travel for work without the family and fully focus on work to later have another trip with my focus on the family. My (older) son loves to travel; we did looong road trips with him. He also loves the mountains, snow and the outdoors in general. I am really looking forward to doing more trips with him and the whole family.
I do like venturing out alone as well, as I did when I took the winning shot for example. A friend of mine discovered a foxden near my hometown Berlin. The young foxes used to play in front of their den every morning and evening, so I decided to go there during blue hour, waiting in safe distance and maybe get the chance to snap a blue hour shot of one of them. After laying on the ground for a couple of minutes one little fox came out and checked the area around the den. He was there just for some seconds and this is literally the only photo I got, because he went back in the den and didn’t come out for the next hour. I guess he smelled me…
WINNING PHOTOGRAPH
BEST OF THE WEEK 34
Actually I thought the shot was not great and I got nothing special, so I didn’t edit the photo for a few weeks. But when I looked through my archives lately and did a quick first edit I discovered the potential of the photo and made the final edit. Really happy about the result now. The Raw was a bit brighter and didn’t have that much contrast. I worked with two main graduated filters; one to darken the lower right corner a little bit more and one to brighten up the left upper corner just a little bit. That gave the picture more contrast and depth. I also intensified the blue hour vibes around the fox while I adjusted the orange/red look of the fox itself with a mask. The overall edit is based on my own preset and style.
Even after more than 10 years I learn something new on every trip. I thought I know a lot about light, but through my trips to the outdoors in the past few years I experienced so many different light situations that I know much better now when I want to go somewhere, which light situation is worth waiting for etc. I also learned more about editing and style through constantly challenging myself to edit some photos every week. Consistency is key. And practice, practice, practice. In the end the worst situations or the situations where I’m under pressure to deliver a result have helped me to learn and develop the most. Staying nice, calm, with focus under pressure is damn hard.
"I genuinely believe that hard work and consistency will always beat talent."
Most of the time the most successful people are hard workers driven by their passion and ambition to achieve their dreams. Quite often we forget that the only way to achieve a goal is by putting the hard work first.
Would you like content like this sent to your inbox?
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
BEST OF THE WEEK MAY
BEST OF THE WEEK APRIL
BEST OF THE WEEK MARCH
BEST OF THE WEEK FEBRUARY
BEST OF THE WEEK JANUARY
NOMADICT
ART GALLERY
THE LATEST STORIES
WRITEN WITH PASSION TO INSPIRE YOU
Simon Hechtbauer (@roamwithsimon): Best of the Week 32 at #nomadict
Simon shares the journey behind his photography, from early inspirations to field techniques, editing, and the story of the winning shot that shaped his path.
Miroslav Maršík (@miromarsik): Photographer based in Czech Republic
In this article, Miro shares how his love for cinematic music evolved into a deep passion for photography and how he uses light, color, and atmosphere to turn the streets of Prague into living film scenes.
Aurora photography panorama workflow: A guide to camera settings, editing, and color
In this article, Stefanie reveals how her background in physics sparked her passion for astrophotography and how she blends science with creativity to capture the beauty of the night sky. Readers will discover her approach to color, contrast, and editing, as well as her aurora photography workflow.
Yhabril (@yhabril): Best of the Week 33 at #nomadict
Spanish photographer Yhabril captures the profound connection between humans and the mountains that shaped him. Growing up in the Pyrenees, his work bridges outdoor sports, landscapes, and celestial scenes — often blending athletes, moonlight, and wilderness into striking visual stories.
Ariane Totzke (@besondersschwierig): Photographer based in Switzerland
In this article, Ariane shares how photography helped her navigate personal challenges, connect authentically with people and animals, and develop a philosophy rooted in empathy and artistic freedom. Readers will also discover her ethical approach to wildlife photography and her trusted equipment for both camouflage techniques and cameras.
How to photograph Dutch tulip fields: A guide to light, gear, composition, and colors
Discover how to photograph Dutch tulip fields in their most magical light. From choosing the right gear and lenses to mastering composition, color, and aerial perspectives, this guide shares creative techniques to capture the beauty of the Netherlands’ tulips. Learn how light, color grading, and proportion bring emotion into every frame.
Cinematic city photography: An essential 6-step workflow
In this article, you’ll learn how to read and use light in your home city, choose the right technical settings for low-light scenes, and refine your editing workflow to shape color and atmosphere step by step. In addition, Dominik shares how to find fresh perspectives on familiar locations, five lessons that transformed his photography, and insights on the future of street photography.
Kyle van Bavel (@kylevanbavel): Photographer based in the Netherlands
Kyle van Bavel is a macro photographer with a distinctive, dreamy style that transforms the unseen details of nature into magical worlds. In this article, he shares how his unique vision, shaped by a journey of self-learning and overcoming dyslexia, has become his greatest creative strength.
