This is the story why photography became important to me:
Before today's digital art, I was passionate about photography for many years. What a wonderful moment near Lake Garda has to do with the birth of Qi Imagery and the love for photography.
Holidays on Lake Garda - always an experience for many people. For me, a scouting trip north from Riva Del Garda was to change my life a bit.
Small, winding streets led upwards. We passed through the beautiful town of Ville del Monte. A historical, original place in the mountains - definitely worth seeing. Then it went on and we reached the "parking zone" of Lago di Tenno. You couldn't see the lake yet.
There were few people there. The calm was wonderful. A light wind from the mountains caressed the skin. It was warm but not hot. The sky was a wonderful blue. Clouds floated lazily in the void.
Lago di Tenno as inspiration for photography
To get to the lake you had to go over a small hill before you see Lago di Tenno. A magical flower meadow adorned this mini hill. Even while walking across this meadow I felt something special. A reverence for nature? A gut feeling that something is different than usual? Not really definable.
Then we got to the top. It was overwhelming. The view is of the emerald shimmering lake and the incredibly lush forest. All shades of green you can imagine. The crystal-clear yet warm air and the sun's rays on your skin. The concert of nature, the peace at the same time.
I didn't just think it, I said out loud: "This is the most beautiful place on earth I've ever been to!" And... completely moved by the beauty of nature, the whole atmosphere, I started to cry. I cried like a castle dog. My heart opened up!
For a good 10 minutes I was wonderfully caught in this one moment. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. This place was just magical and overwhelming for me at that moment.
The art of photography - a new, fascinating purpose in life
After I "calmed down", that was the moment when I decided: "I want to take pictures!" To photograph moments as I feel them in a moment of a situation. As overwhelming as that day!
No quick photography, which is then made "chic" with Photoshop afterwards. But to adjust the camera settings in such a way that my emotions, the feeling of the moment, is transformed directly into the picture!
On the right is a picture of me trying to capture the atmosphere with a cell phone back then. Unfortunately, over 10 years ago the quality of mobile phone pictures was not what it is today, so this did not work. My partner had long loved photography and was happy to own a new camera - lucky! At least that's how he was able to capture this day.
For me, the art of photography is capturing the moment - transforming the sense of eternity.
Editing with Photoshop is, in my opinion, the art of editing. Without a doubt, that too is an art! But to conjure up the knowledge about the work tool - the camera - together with the feeling of the moment in the picture is, in my opinion, the basis for good photography. It's not just taking 100 pictures and hoping you get a good one - that's just snapping to me.
Incidentally, a few years later I was in Riva del Garda on business and visited the spot of the moment on Lake Tenno. However, the magic experienced back then was not the same. On this day it was a "normal" lake for me. A different season, a different time of day, a different weather... I am grateful for the life I had this experience over 12 years ago!
Photography - painting with light - has accompanied my life ever since.
Photos: Frank Schulz
