For me, photography has always been an integral part of my life, and is linked to nearly all my activities. Even when I think of sports, or even university career and business, I cannot avoid linking these two to photography. The strong need for the search of the perfect picture is the same as the strong need for the search for the real truth – and both will never be successful.
My interest in photography did not start with reading books, with mentors or with looking at other pictures; it started in the nature. I have always been fascinated by the architecture of nature and by those somehow even ‘spiritual’ moments of incredible light one can only experience when being outdoors for more time than the casual walk through the shopping streets of a city. I had my most intense experiences and emotions outdoors, on hikes and also on journeys where I prefer staying outdoors hundred percent of the time. Sleeping in remote areas in the tent even gives you the opportunity to see a light that cannot be seen by other travelers who stay in the hotel and have dinner or breakfast during the magical hours of day.
Photography is even more to me: I always wanted to share my experience. On slide shows I was often asked what I was doing with my pictures because sometimes they looked so unreal. Well, despite choosing a neutral density filter or a graduated grey filter, I did nothing with my slides. What should I – I had never the possibilities of post-processing like professional photographers had. And far less slides to shoot that I could afford.
But I’m drifting away from would should become just a small introduction to myself. What I want to do with my photography is to share moments. And to show the people, how beautiful the world is, they are currently going to destroy. Well I know, everything changes, everything flows and I’m Buddhist enough to accept that. But I also see a lot of dangerous developments in our environment and this makes me fear we’re really turning our world down to some kind of waste land where ‘you cannot say, of guess, for you know only/ A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,/ And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,/ And the dry stone no sound of water’ (T.S.Eliot).
For me, images have even more power than words. Words can be forlorn and forgotten fast, but images may stay in the memories for much longer. ‘A single remembered image may trigger vast amounts of forgotten material.’ says Galen Rowell in his work ‘Mountain Light’. And that’s maybe the quintessence of it. Images are amongst the most powerful tools we have to do something in our mind – whether it is to trigger memories, or to touch the emotions of the viewer. Journalism would be nothing without outstanding photographers.

However, I have to close by now, university duty calls. I just want to add some personal details about me so that you have an ‘image’ about who I am.  

I was born in 1983, I still do not have children but three motorcycles; which I love (although they are only material possessions… I know). For me, motorcycles are built to be ridden, and riding them through the world is one of the most joyful things I can think of. The big advantage of riding on a bike through the world is the same as hiking or trekking through the world: you’re always outdoors and experience so much more from the country than when seated in a car where the world passes by as in a film.

Besides taking pictures, I was studying German and Scandinavian literature in Vienna before, and I’m currently studying medical engineering in Linz/Upper Austria and at the Johns Hopkins Universtiy School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. I was working as a tour guide, as an exhibition guide and made slide shows.

Now just some private details: I'm married to a great man since 17th of July 2010, we currently live in Baltimore, MD, USA but come from Waidhofen/Ybbs, Lower Austria.

A good start to view a few pictures are my portfolios where you always find some recent favorites...!

Prices:

07-2013: Winner of Assignment 'Catch the Light', Published online and in National Geographic (NG, USA)

04-2013: Editor's Pick in National Geographic 2012 Photo Contest, week 13, category 'Places', Published online in National Geographic (NG, USA)

12-2012: Foto.Nationalgeographic.de Photo of the Day (National Geographic Germany)

12-2012: Feartured photograph in 'Best Trails of America' National Geographic Online (NG, USA)

08-2012: GEO photo of the day on August 29th (GEO, Germany)

04-2012: National Geographic Photo of the Day (04-24) and Travel Photo of the Week (National Geographic, USA)

06-2012: GEO photo of the Month, printed in GEO magazine (GEO, Germany)

03-2012: GEO photo of the day on March 13th (GEO, Germany)

02-2012: Photo of the Day Award for February 8th (Light & Composition Magazine, New York)

02-2012: Photo of the Day Award for February 1st (Light & Composition Magazine, New York)

01-2012: Photo of the Day Award for January 18th (Light & Composition Magazine, New York)

01-2012: Photo of the Day Award for January 8th (Light & Composition Magazine, New York)

01-2012: GEO photo of the day on January 5th (GEO, Germany)

12-2011: Photo of the Day Award for December 31st (Light & Composition Magazine, New York)

10-2011: GEO photo of the day on October 5th (GEO, Germany)

03-2011: 3rd place Neptun Wasserpreis photographic and art competition (A; organizer: Land Niederösterreich)

01-2011: 1st prize Touratech TravelTime photographic competition (international; organizer: Touratech, Germany)

11-2010: 39th place at GEO photographic competition "Clouds" (GEO, Germany)

10-2010: 1st prize Intermot/Photokina photographic competiton "Travel emotions on two wheels" (international; organzier: IVM, Germany)