Hannes Kläger

“When I travel, I try to capture the heart and soul of a place.”

Intercru: Where are you from? Where do you live and work now?

Hannes: Originally I’m from a small village near Stuttgart in Germany, but I moved to Austria about 8 years ago. Today I live and work in Vienna.

When did you get started with photography?

I got started at the age of 11 when I inherited my grandpa’s precious Leica camera. I probably haven’t traveled without a camera ever since.

What types of landscapes and travel photos do you like to photograph?

Generally I love shooting water in landscapes. The infinity of the sea, reflections of a mountain lake, the motion of a waterfall - water always adds something exciting to a picture.

When I travel, I try to capture the heart and soul of a place. That does mean visiting touristy areas, but it also means going off the beaten track, to observe and photograph locals, to understand local architecture and dive into the food culture. I also like photographing hotels because the really good ones usually reflect most of the aspects above.

What has been the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to?

That’s a tough question. In fact I really love Austria and consider it one of the most beautiful and multifaceted countries I’ve seen. If I had to point out one particular place outside of Austria though, I would say that Iceland was the most magical place I’ve been to so far.

Do you plan out the photos that you take or are they all spontaneous?

It’s always a mix of both. When I travel, I do have particular ideas for pictures in mind. Sometimes it requires a lot of patience to get exactly the result I wanted. However, nothing beats spontaneous shots that turn out well. I think that is what photography is all about, capturing moments.

If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?

If things were normal I’d hop on a plane to Los Angeles, spend some days in the city, soak in the vibes of the people, the architecture, the food, and then tour around some of the California national parks. Plus there’s something about Californian light I find really special.