My Name is Johannes Kopf and I am 21 years old. Growing up in Salzburg, I have been quite lucky to have so many beautiful and diverse places close to home. I’m surrounded by beautiful lakes and rough mountains, and I think I couldn’t wish any better. I think my passion for landscape photography began as a natural continuation of my love for the outdoors and the wilderness. I always liked to be out in the nature, whether in the mountains, on the beach or just in my own garden. My parents supported my desire to explore and gave me a small digicam from Canon for my 10th birthday so I could capture the places I was visiting. Nothing special, but I was immediately enthusiastic. I simply photographed everything that I found through my lens and spent days in the garden chasing birds and photographing my cat.
I study advertising and graphic design in Salzburg and try to earn some money with photography from time to time, so photography determines my life in many ways. It makes me go out and discover the nature, meet new people and gain experience. Without photography, my life would be half this exciting.
In everyday life the camera always accompanies me, whether it’s wakeboarding, skiing or just a leisurely stroll through my hometown with friends; you never know what you will encounter and I prefer to have my camera if I see a scene that is photograph worthy. No place is boring if you had a good sleep and are equipped with a pocket full of unexposed film. Many people may think photographers just travel to take pictures, and I thought that as well in the beginning, but over time I discovered that it’s so much more. I’ve learned and discovered so much and so many wonderful friendships have arisen because of photography. I often call my best friend and fotobuddy Mike (@michalswannphotography) when I want to go on adventure and most of the time, he’s on board. Then on the road you always meet a lot of other people. Time goes by but memories remain…Many chats with colleagues who share the same passion usually start with: ‘Remember that trip…?’
Actually, my best photos are linked to mistakes, so in general I think all kind of memories are beautiful and unique. Often something doesn’t work out as planned, I forget something or the spot is just not as expected, but that’s exactly what makes photography so appealing to me; not knowing what is coming and still looking forward to it. It helps you to step out of your comfort zone and I think that’s very important – not just in photography, to keep developing. Challenge yourself! The more you practice, the bigger your comfort zone. I always try to give myself new challenges: Either to photograph with only one objective or with a memory card of only 512mb. In both situations, you have to pay very close attention to what you photograph and how you photograph it. Simply an intentional restriction of any kind helps to be creative and to search for new angles. I also love taking pictures with old analog cameras, so you really start to use and understand the role of light. Furthermore, this click of the analog cameras simply gives an amazing feeling.
I have always been fascinated by the locations that are rough and uncomfortable. Places where you may not be able to stay if you look for easy comfort and pleasure, be it in the cold and windy north or in the middle of the night surrounded by rugged mountains. I love to stand on the top of the mountain in the early morning when the first sun rays kiss the peaks, as well as in the storm I am standing on the cliff in the rain, wiping raindrops from the lens every few seconds. I believe that favorite spots haven’t necessarily become favorites because of the beauty of the place, but rather because of the emotions or experiences connected to the place.
In the end, I always want that my experienced emotions on the spot flow into the processing of the image, because these are exactly the feelings and impressions that I want the viewer of the picture to have. I would like to pick up the viewer and take him on a journey through the picture. From images of surfers riding waves in Africa to the stars over the mountains in Italy, I am trying to show the beautiful world we live in. Moments are transient but through photography I have the opportunity to capture them and share them with others.
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