An old elephant bull confidently checks me out as I get closer to him. To me, there is no other animal that represents power as much as the elephant does. Weighing up to 6 tons, these animals are truly scary but magical at the same time. The worldwide elephant population has dropped dramatically over the past century. I hope that my art can help protect these amazing creatures by showcasing their beauty.

I had the opportunity to photograph these fascinating animals during my travels to the Galápagos archipelago. The Galápagos Islands are renowned for their unique and diverse array of plant and animal species. Many of these species are found nowhere else on Earth, making the islands a haven for every photographer. The marine iguanas fascinated me the most, a species that looks like they've existed for 80 million years. Marine iguanas are the only lizards in the world that forage in the ocean.

Connecting Spirits" is by far one of my favorite photos. You can see my reflection in the eye of the iguana. I had been dreaming of capturing a photo like this for years but had never succeeded until this day. It’s difficult to get that close to an animal without scaring it away or risking an attack, but on this day, this iguana allowed me to come as close as 50 centimeters, enabling me to use my macro lens. To me, this photo symbolizes the deep connection we have towards nature. Unfortunately, more and more people are losing this connection.

Encountering gorillas in their natural habitat is an experience like no other. Even though they don't speak our language, it truly feels like you are sitting right next to a human. Their energy, behavior, and facial expressions are so similar to ours. This 250kg male truly looks frightening, but compared to us humans, gorillas are very peaceful animals, which is why people call them "gentle giants." We share 97 percent of our DNA with these fascinating animals; only the chimpanzee is even more similar. Perhaps it is this commonality that has led us to destroy this species for so long that today there are only around 1000 mountain gorillas left in the wild. In every aspect, it is extremely impressive to come so close to a great ape, and I highly recommend everyone to experience it at least once. However, there is unfortunately a small catch to the matter, which is that these animals live deep in the African jungle and are very difficult to reach.

I encountered this magnificent male walrus during a circumnavigation around Svalbard in August 2022. Svalbard, with its enchanting and magical landscapes marked by endless masses of pack ice that have existed for millennia, will forever reside in my heart. The harsh living conditions here, which one would think no creature could endure, have nonetheless spurred the evolution of species in this inhospitable realm.

The photograph titled "The Dentist" epitomizes for me the life-threatening challenges these animals face, while also highlighting the resilience and fortitude they exhibit in facing them. The expression on this creature's face simultaneously sends shivers down my spine and captivates me. Weighing more than 1000 kilograms, yet possessing a gentle disposition, it represents an incredible species resilient in the face of adversity.

leopards are truly amazing. Few other animal species encounter as many myths and legends as these majestic creatures. The indigenous people of Africa both revere and fear them, a sentiment that has endured for millennia. Even today, it is exceedingly challenging to catch a glimpse of them, especially in Africa. Masters of camouflage and utterly silent, leopards rank as the second most powerful predators of the African savannah, following lions.

Lurking in the thickets, they strike with maximum lethality in the blink of an eye. My photograph "Spotlight" was captured in precisely such a moment. I trailed a leopardess through the dense foliage of Africa, a task that proved immensely challenging as I tried not to lose sight of her. Luck also favored me: as she searched for prey, she paused at just the right moment, lifting her head where a beam of light pierced through the canopy, illuminating only her. She stood in the spotlight.

For me no other animal symbolizes Strength as much as the Lion does. There’s a reason they have been used as symbols for greatness, power and strength for thousands of years. But to actually see 2 full grown lion males in a fight for live and death is truly something else. It is extremely rare to see them fighting and what makes it even rarer is the fact that they were brothers. My Guide has never seen such a thing in the past decade. Planning in advance he was able to position himself just meters away from the fight. Due to a long dry season everything was covered in dust making the photo almost looked photoshopped.

Elephants have accompanied me for almost 15 years on my photographic journey. I still remember well how, as an 8-year-old boy, I was chased by a huge elephant bull while my parents and I were in South Africa. Of course, we were very scared, but my fascination was ignited from that moment on. Now, more than 15 years later, I have traveled to a place that has deeply impressed me. Nowhere else are the conditions so ideal for photographing elephants than in Amboseli- Nationalpark. Thousands of these animals have roamed it’s ground for centuries, with the elephant bulls being even more massive than anywhere else in the world. Right here, one becomes acutely aware of the tragic consequences of the impending extinction of these wonderful creatures. Every 15 minutes, an elephant in the world is killed by humans for its ivory. That's nearly 40,000 elephants per year. If we cannot stop this trend, it may soon become a sad reality to see the savannas of our Earth without the presence of our large-eared friends.

There are probably millions of photos taken of zebras. More and more people are visiting popular travel destinations like safaris in the Serengeti or the Masai Mara, which is why simply taking a portrait of a zebra is no longer special—it's been photographed too many times. I wanted to stand out. My idea was this: why not use a wide-angle lens and photograph the zebras from a distance of less than a meter? Now, of course, one might think, "Sure, the idea is good, but how on earth do you get so close to a zebra? After all, they are wild animals." But there is a solution for this too, and it's called a remote trigger. You position your camera on the ground and trigger it from a distance of 10-15 meters using a remote control. Furthermore, I didn't want to photograph ordinary zebras but the very rare Grey Zebra. There are fewer than 2500 of them left in the wild. They are larger than normal zebras with bigger ears and, in my opinion, more beautiful. So, the search for these zebras began. After several days in Laikipia, located in central Kenya, we found a large group of these zebras. Now, the most difficult part of the task began: positioning the camera so that the zebras were as close to it as possible. Usually, animals are afraid of what they don't know, and it was the same with the camera.

Once laid on the ground, they stopped 5-10 meters in front of the camera and walked a wide arc around it, it was frustrating. After several failed attempts, however, the tables turned in our favor. It was getting hotter, and the zebras seemed to be getting thirsty, so our guide said they would soon head for a waterhole. Luckily, there was one relatively close by, so I positioned my camera exactly between the waterhole and the path that would lead the zebras to it. The zebras came closer and closer and stopped about 10 meters away from the camera again. I thought it had failed again and that the zebras would go to another waterhole but just as I was losing hope, the alpha female decided to approach the camera. I couldn't believe my eyes—she came to within less than 20 centimeters of the camera to sniff it. What an intense encounter.

Giraffes are truly remarkable animals, or as Peter Schmidt, a world-renowned German designer once told me: "Giraffes are simply amazing, they look as if they are not from this world." And he is absolutely right, no other animal is as unique and has such a distinct visual characteristic as the giraffe. However, precisely this uniqueness of their long necks posed photographic challenges for me. They are simply too long and, in my opinion, often look aesthetically unpleasing in most photos. Fortunately, the hard work paid off one day in Kenya with the photo I was determined to capture: a giraffe standing over my camera, looking down into it from above. Although giraffes are not known for their aggressiveness and deadly encounters, it is still impressive when an animal weighing over a ton and towering more than 6 meters high comes so close. Yet, it was worth it solely for the interesting perspective it provided. At least, I haven't seen a comparable photo yet.