"In search of a picture that tells a story"....Meet Norbert Rosing...

Wer die K-Files kennt, hat diese Fotos schon gesehen, wir waren nämlich ganz hin-und-weg als die Links dazu im rbb Knutblog zum ersten Mal die Runde machten...
Who knows the K-Files, will certainly know these photos, we have referred to them several times as we have been really fascinated when the links were posted for the first time in the rbb blog of Knut 2 years ago...
Und das ist der Mann hinter den Fotos, Norbert Rosing aus Deutschland, Natur- und Tierfotos sind seine Domäne, seine Eisbärfotos haben ihn weltweit bekannt gemacht...-

And this is the man behind these photos, Norbert Rosing, a very famous German photographer of wild life and landscapes, his polar bear photos have made him famous...
Und dies hier dürfte wohl sein am häufigsten publizierte Foto sein, ich habe keine Ahnung, wie oft ich diesem Bären bereits im Internet begegenet bin. Und die Tatsache, dass Herr Rosing sich offenbar mit Eisbären gut auskennt, ist für uns Grund genug, ihm auch mal einen ganzen Eintrag in Knuts Aussenposten zu widmen. Um ehrlich zu sein, habe ich heute ein aktuelles Interview mit ihm gefunden, bei Wild Wonders of Wonders of Europe, eine großartige Initiative, bei der rund 50 Fotografen mitmachen, alle spezialisiert auf Naturfotos, es lohnt sich, dort hereinzuschauen. Aber nun ab zum Interview (ich lasse es auf Englisch)mit Herrn Rosing, ein paar Fotos habe ich hinzugefügt.

And this is probably one of his most published polar bear photos..., I can't recall how often I have met this bear on the net...So Mr.Rosing is into polar bears and this is reason enough to dedicate him one entry in Knut's Outpost.To be honest, I stumbled accidentally over an interview, as he has been featured this week by Wild Wonders Of Europe, a great site which regroups lots of wild life photographers and which is more than worthwhile to visit...So meet here Norbert Rosing and enjoy the interview (which I keep in English) and some of his photos.

"Who is a successful wildlife and nature photographer right from the start? I do not know anybody. But I did know what I wanted! To be what I am today.

I started as a nurse in a hospital and worked there for more than 15 years. Also, very important is a partner in life who supports you "no matter what". I found one. We have been together for 30 years. I’m proud of her.
The second thing is training the eye to learn to see. When I started out I had a camera, lens and film. The image needed to be completed when you saw it in the viewfinder. That’s why I like brilliant viewfinders and brilliant lenses.
Third: communication in the photography world.

Our world is very small and it helped me a lot to attend festivals, meetings and private gatherings. I do know a lot of our close world people and I enjoy it. They help me, I help them.
Keeping close contact with my key publishers, agencies and magazines. I try to be as reliable as possible. If problems arise, I do not send endless e-mails. I call them or drive or fly to visit them in person. We are still all humans."

Interview

Why nature photography?
Finding something new out there every day.

What's best about it?

Having the feeling I can change something to the better. People’s admiration of my work. Applause after a successful slide show. Contacts with very interesting people - from carpenters to millionaires. Nature photography opened up a very colourful world for me.
Sitting in front of a fox den for 6 weeks and watch the little ones grow. Seeing the display of a northern light. Being in areas where not many people are. Finding my own "white spots" on earth.

What's worst about it?

Seeing with my own eyes the devastations mankind is doing to our planet. For example, the oil sands in Alberta, Canada, the mining in the most pristine areas in the high Arctic, and the logging of the west coast rain forest. Airports, security checks, days of frustration in the field, my future in front of computer? No. Seeing the social life in media offices getting colder, only money talks. The loss of quality in TV and printed media.

Favourite species and places in Europe?

Spitsbergen in Norway for the vastness and cleanness. Seeing ivory gulls and polar bears close by. In Germany: the Baltic Sea coast with sandy beaches, swamps and old trees.

What's in the bag?

I love my fixed focus lenses, especially the 15, 28shift, 4.0/280 and I am never without a tripod. I still shoot a lot of film; Fujichrome Velvia 50 for landscape is still unsurpassed. But also, I work my way into the new age. It takes time. (B.R./Note : N.Rosing has been known for being stubbornly opposed to digital photography in the past, so this comes a bit as a surprise...)

Your specialities / skills?

Some call it patience, some call it stubbornness. When I find something I’m sure is the right thing to make a story of, I stick to it. Whether it is polar bears, foxes or landscapes. And I do it my way.

What will you do in your next life?

Maybe working in a warmer climate.

3 tips for beginners

1) Go out and find your passion.

2) Attend meetings and study books from other photographers how they do it.
3) Do not expect sudden success.

Mission

Greenland, Disco Bay. Easy! you might think.

I have never been there and I expect to see the greatest icebergs in the northern hemisphere. Hopefully the main glacier has not become a victim of global warming and does not feed the bay anymore with the monstrous icebergs. I will take an analogue and a digital camera with me. Just in case. Lens range from fisheye to 280mm. The very good "old" Leica R lenses will give me the best results. Of course I’ll take a tripod and a Novoflex "art flash" with me. I can lighten up a close by subject with a 15mm lens. The biggest success in nature photography you get with the simplest possible recipe: be there and give it a try!

Best Picture

Polar Bear “caught” on iceberg.

What's cool about it?
The way the polar bear is "caught" on the iceberg.

The right ship, the right captain, the right season, the right time of day and the right polar bear. All these facts came together for this photograph.

Could it be better?

Yes, a beam of sunlight could have hit the bear and he could have stood up. Other than that... I was very nervous when I took the shot. Amazing situation.

Behind the Scene
This is one of my best shots that summer of 2007 when I travelled on three different ships seven tours to Spitsbergen in search of a picture that tells a story.

Date: September 2007
Location: South of North East Land, Spitsbergen
Gear: Leica R 9 with DMR (Digital Module R) 70-180mm lens.

By the way, in dangerous situations he likes to sing songs from Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton, the interview was done on 26th June 09, the day of Michael Jackson's death whom he considered a great artist. Even as a photographer, he could learn from him...

Find more from and about Norbert Rosing, dt.:
- Wild Wonders of Europe (discover also his latest photos taken in Germany, they are beautiful!) - about Wild Wonders of Europe/engl.

Norbert Rosing at National Geographic, just a few:

- Polarbears - New Life On The Ice/engl. 2000, Bärenstark ins neue Leben/dt.
- Don't miss the photo application which shows a polar bear mom with her triplets, in eleven
years of polar bear photography the first time that he saw all 3 cubs surviving until October
- Muskoxes/engl.2002
- Arctic Foxes/engl. 2004
- Polar Bear & Dog playing