Thank you for seeing the world through my eyes!
Stefan Schütz lives somewhere between our Westend61 home in Munich and the Alps. Besides stock photography, his repertoire includes commissioned work for advertising agencies and people photography. His Westend61 Portfolio focuses almost exclusively on “travel” as he provides unique impressions from his travels. On his homepage, he writes, “Thank you for seeing the world through my eyes.” A sentence that makes us curious. We want to know more about him and his view on photography.
Stefan, thank you for this interview. Let’s start off very casually – why don’t you name three nouns that describe you as a person?
Of course: adventurer / traveler / athlete
You’ve been in the business for a while. What have you learned through photography?
I’ve changed how I look at things, not just through the viewfinder. The perception of my surroundings has wholly altered. I want to discover the world and perceive people more personally. All this has happened through photography.
Wanderlust? HERE YOU WILL FIND ALL PICTURES OF STEFAN SCHÜTZ.
How did you get into stock photography?
It opened up the possibility to become more financially independent. Stock photography allows me to travel for more extended periods at a time.
Show us your favorite picture!
This picture I’ve taken on a year-long trip through South America with my family. We had spent the night there on the endless Salar de Uyuni (salt landscape in the southwest of Bolivia).
For which picture did you have to go out of your comfort zone?
In 2007, I traveled through Africa for 9 months for a book project. The photo shown here is likely the photo I put the most work in. We were driving through villages when we saw an Iman on the side of the road. Due to his car breaking down, we drove him into a town where he wanted to meet an elderly man. I needed to capture this moment, so it took me 30 minutes of talking and negotiating before I was finally allowed to sit in the hut with them. It was dark and silent as I took only 2 pictures. The energy was indescribable.
Which photo have you always wanted to take?
In 1999, I was on the road for the first time with a Land Rover for three months in South America. When my boys were born, I wanted to show them this place. I have since done that and, of course, captured it.
Show us a photo from our portfolio that inspires you.
It is, of course, a travel photo captured by Juan Lopez. I would definitely like to travel to the Lofoten Islands myself.
Thank you for this very personal insight.
See more photos of Stefan on our webshop and on his Instagram profile.
