Q: Where have you lived so far?

A: I am currently living in Suva in the Fiji Islands.

In Germany, I lived in  Dresden, Berlin, Trier, Mainz, Aachen & Bremen. In South Africa, I lived in Belhar (Cape Town) for almost 18 months and in Egypt, I lived for 10 months in Dahab.

Q:What do you love most?

A: Photography and videography, diving, all kinds of outdoor stuff, writing, animals, music, travel, good discussions, humble people.

Q: What do you enjoy shooting the most?

A: My passion lies in wildlife photography/conservation storytelling/photojournalism- above and beneath the surface. Observing animals and capturing their natural behavior is just so enriching. I witnessed so many times how animals share the same basic needs and feelings like we do.

Q: What your life advice?

A: Live the 1love strategy!

Q: What are you shooting with?

A: Currently I own a Nikon D850, D810, Nikon D7100, a Nikon D90,  a Tamron 70-300, a Nikon 18-105mm f/4.0-5.6, Nikon 24-120mm f/4, Sigma 50mm f/1.8, Nikon 105mm f/2.8, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8,  Nikon 85mm f/1.8,  Nikon 16-35mm f/4, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, a Nikon 40mm f/2.8,  Tamron 150-600mm f/5.6-6.3, GoPros and loads of other accessories.

Q: When did you start photography?

A: Pretty much 15 years back in 2005 in South Africa with my first Sony compact camera.

Q: Where did you learn how to take photos & videos?

A: Lots of shooting, tutorials and more shooting and still learning all the time.

Q: What dive equipment do you use?

A: I use an Aquatica housing for the Nikon D850 the Dahna housing by BS Kinetics along with two Inon Z240 strobes, a Sola 800 dive light, a dome, as well as a macro port.

Q: What’s your education?

A: South African Matric (=High School degree)

Bachelor of Science in Biology from the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (Thesis: “Recording, digitalization, and analysis of the courtship song of Drosophila melanogaster”) and a

Master of Science in Tropical Marine Ecology (ISATEC Master Program)from the University of Bremen and the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research finished in 2016 with a thesis on shark nurseries in Fiji titled “A potential multi-species shark nursery in a tropical estuary at Ba, Fiji – Environmental drivers of juvenile shark distribution”. A scientific publication about my thesis is available here.

Q: What does Conservation mean to you?

A: Conservation is not a boring, peace-love-happy attitude of smoking hippies (well, maybe it is) but something that each one of us can practice and advocate in everyday life. Lawyers, doctors, construction workers, office guys, developed and developing world people, young and old, happy and sad, you name it. It’s about small decisions in life – plastic bag? No. Plastic whatever? No. Endangered fish? No. Trophy hunting? No. Cheap meat? No. Throwing trash in nature? No. And this list goes on. We all have to power to make a change. Let’s make it for the next generations even if it might mean a (small) sacrifice to you. Start with one thing!

That’s what conservation means to me.

Q: What’s your aim in life?

A: I have a few:

First and foremost: Leave the world a bit better than when I came in it.

Spread love for our mother earth and encourage people to make a positive change in their lives.

Spread awareness on animal cruelty with my vegan lifestyle.

I think I should stop here or it will get too boring.

Q: Anything else?

A: Life is too short, live your dreams!