FRITZ PÖLKING PRIZE JUNIOR 2011

Winner: Radomir Jakubowski – Germany

My name is Radomir Jakubowski. I was born in 1987 and nature photography is my passion. I first came into contact with photography when I was 11 years old. Using an old Pentax camera, my father explained the essentials of photography to me. To be honest, at that time I thought that I would never spend so much time on a single photograph as my father did - today that is a fraction of the time I need for each image.

I really got started when I was 15 years old with one of the first digital cameras, which enabled me to photograph as much as I liked while keeping the costs low. Very soon, I began to photograph nothing but nature; I was especially fascinated by small details. My interest grew into fascination and the fascination into passion. Looking back, I would say that my interest in nature originally developed from the interest in photography, and today, I have reached a balance of the two.

I spend all my free time with nature photography. Rare and spectacular images are not an absolute necessity for me. Instead, I relish shapes, structures and colours found in nature. Today, I cover the broad range from animal to landscape photography, in close-ups as well as in telephotography. In my images, I endeavour to achieve a creative portrayal of subjects to make each photograph individual.

www.naturfotocamp.de

Project: Norwegian Autumn

A long time ago, I fell in love with the images I had seen of Norway's landscapes. I was especially taken with the atmosphere in autumn. So it was not really a surprise when I got my gear together and travelled to Norway in 2009 for the first time, staying for more than a month from September to October, and then for a second time in the autumn of 2010. During these stays, I went on numerous hikes exploring a number of areas, especially the national parks of Rondane, Dovre and Dovrefjell. Daily tours ranging between 12 and 17 hours allowed enough time to enjoy nature, to take in the tundra-like Landscape and to photograph extensively. The rough characteristic landscape of the mountain tundra, the fantastic autumn colours, the early snow, often already beginning to fall in September, and the seemingly primeval musk oxen were most captivating to me. With this portfolio, I would like to showcase the exceptional beauty of autumn in Norway.

Radomir Jakubowski | Jungtiersilhouette

Young Animal Silhouette 
Silhouette of a young musk ox in front of a mountain setting.

Radomir Jakubowski | Harter Aufstieg

A Hard Climb
With the first snow the musk oxen migrate to higher grounds on the Fjells.

Radomir Jakubowski | Moschusochsenkopula

Musk Oxen Mating 
Autumn is the musk oxen's mating season.

Radomir Jakubowski | Mutterliebe

Mother Love
A female musk ox with calf suckling.

Radomir Jakubowski | Norwegengras

Norwegian Grass
Rain, wind, dark clouds - typical autumn weather in Litledalen.

Radomir Jakubowski | Blaue Stunde

The Blue Hour 
Long before sunrise, the autumn in Rondane National Park displays its most beautiful side.

Radomir Jakubowski | Baum des Lebens

Tree of Life 
Alpine azalea (Loiseleuria procumbens) coincidentally growing in the shape of a tree.

Radomir Jakubowski | Baumspinne

Tree Spider
A spider sitting on the bark of a tree.

Radomir Jakubowski | Herbstwind

Autumn Wind
Autumn wind shakes the trees in Jotunheimen National Park.

Radomir Jakubowski | Erster Herbstschnee

First Snow
Below the mountain tops covered in a first soft layer of snow, the Indian summer is still prevailing.

Radomir Jakubowski | Indian Summer

Indian Summer
Autumn at its best.

Radomir Jakubowski | Wetterumschwung

Changing Wheather
While winter is approaching, heavy rains arrive. Rain and sun at the same time is, however, a rare occurrence.

Radomir Jakubowski | Schnee im Herbst

Snow in Autumn
An early start of the winter in 2010 covered fully foliated trees in snow. A thick fog and sunshine at the same time created the right light conditions.

Radomir Jakubowski | Die Kälte kommt

Frost arriving
As early as September, temperatures in Rondane National Park sink as low as minus 15°C.