Volker Birke 1

All my life I've been fascinated with nature, particularly sea and landscapes, and how it relates to personal feelings, atmosphere and moods. Got my first camera around the age of 10 (taught by his father, later on doing photography primarily self-taught). Therefore, artistic sea and landscape photography has always been a favorite subject (viewing landscape paintings also, e.g., created by Caspar David Friedrich or William Turner in the late 18th and 19th century). Although, I'm much interested in other genres of photography as well. For the last ten years, I've primarily employed digital SLR cameras (Canon), though still shooting and developing film (b&w 35 mm, Zeiss and Yashica cameras) occasionally.

True to myself until today:

"I'm learning to see.
I don't know what it's about, but everything is entering me at a deeper level and doesn't stop where it used to.
There's a place within me that I wasn't aware of.
What's going on there I don't know."
(Rainer Maria Rilke)

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.
It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.
Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed."
(Albert Einstein)

According to Harald Mante, Retired Professor of Photography at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, some main principles have significantly been impacting Volker's work so far: experience, good concepts and coincidence (trusting to chance)
Any image can be evaluated at two different levels: firstly, regarding content and message (rational recognition and emotional reaction) and, secondly, quality of composition and design (including arrangement of image elements and color management, tones etc.). The content of an image is chiefly evaluated by the viewer whether it conveys a certain information or not and according to his or her interest in this information.
In order to create good image contents, experience, good concepts comprising creative, original, innovative ideas and / or sheer coincidences (trusting to chance) are required. Remarkably enough image contents can yet be recognized even if a poor technique or composition has been applied to the image. Therefore, a good technique and composition are primarily required to facilitate and support the recognition process.

My portfolio chiefly comprising my latest work (approx. 2010 - today) is available on my homepage:
www.volkerbirke.com

Previous work is showcased on Flickr, photo.net etc. Please check out "About" on my HP!

For enquiries (any questions, requests for prints etc.) please use the contact form on my HP or drop me a line on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/volker.birke

Thank you very much for stopping by and buona visione!
Thanks a million to the editors and curators for featuring my portfolio here on ND MAGAZINE! I'm much delighted. This is very encouraging.
Volker