Today we have another photographer spotlight interview for you! This time I’d like to welcome Carsten Meyerdierks, a very talented photographer from Germany, who shows astonishing & amazing landscape pictures. In this exclusive interview, you’ll find out what it is that makes him so good in his field.
1) Tell us about yourself, where are you from? How, when and why did you get into photography?
I live in the countryside, near Hamburg in northern Germany, where I work as a teacher in a school. Even as a child, I was interested in photography. At that time, of course, I photographed with a small, simple pocket camera and the photos were certainly not of high artistic quality! At the age of 20, I bought my first SLR and set up a small photo lab in my cellar. I got my first digital SLR for my 40th birthday. Since then hardly a day goes by without the occupation of photography!
Photography offers me a wonderful balance to my profession. In nature, I find peace and relaxation. Moreover, I find it always fascinating to discover new motifs that would have remained hidden to me without the photography.
2) How much time do you spend on photography on average?
Of course, that depends on a lot on how much free time I have. When traveling, e.g. I hardly put the camera out of my hand. In the time in which I am very demanding in my job, but I’m less likely to pursue my hobby. So I would say that I spend an average of 20 hours a week on photography.
3) Which gear do you mainly use / What is typically in your camera bag?
When I leave the house to take a photo tour, I have the following important items in my backpack: Currently my Canon EOS 6D, a wide-angle zoom 16-35mm, the best telephoto zoom I’ve ever had, the 150-600mm from Sigma , a tripod, Lee filters and my phone to control my camera during long exposures.
4) Do you have guiding principles that you follow when you’re taking pictures?
Of course, I always have rules of image design in mind, such as the rule of thirds. But I’m not afraid to break those rules if I feel like it.
5) How important is post-processing for you? Can you tell us what kind of postprocessing you typically do?
The post-processing of my pictures on the computer is an important part of my work on the way to the finished picture. I often spend hours on the computer until I’m satisfied with the result. I always start editing the raw files in Canon Camera Raw. Then I use Photoshop and Color Efex Pro from Nik.
6) What’s the favorite photo you took and why?
This question is difficult to answer as I have had many favorite pictures in the many years. Often the relationship to a personal image has something to do with the emotions and feelings that one had when taking photographs. Here a breathtaking landscape can trigger emotions, such as my photo, which shows the island world of the Norwegian Lofoten. But even a small detail along the way can fascinate me and make a picture a favorite picture. But sometimes it’s also the pictures that have been used in competitions to achieve success, which make me enjoy seeing them again and again, like the autumn picture with which I won a gold medal at the Trierenberg Super Circuit.
7) What’s the most challenging part of being a nature/landscape photographer?
The biggest challenge in landscape photography is getting to the right place at the right time. Since the mood of light and clouds must be right, waiting for the right moment is often a time-consuming affair. And not always you will be rewarded with impressive shots at the end of the day so that the same location sometimes has to be hit several times.
8) What was your biggest accomplishment?
I have won several medals in international photography competitions. For example, three times I could win gold medals at the Trierenberg Super Circuit with my pictures. In addition, some of my pictures have been published in various magazines.
9) What are your future photography goals?
The next big photo event will be a trip to Iceland this winter. Here I hope to experience one of the most beautiful natural spectacles, the indescribably beautiful polar lights!
Make sure to visit Carsten Meyerdierks Website and to follow him on Facebook & 500px!
Website: https://www.carsten-meyerdierks.de/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meyerdierkspictures/
500px: https://500px.com/carstenmeyerdierks
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