In recent years, we've had less and less snow here in the Waldviertel in the north of Austria. From November onwards, I am already nervous about whether I will capture enough winter pictures for next year's landscape calendar. The trend should continue this year, too. There were a few snow days. Thank goodness there are hidden dreamlike places deep in the forest with little sunlight so that the little snow and ice last much longer than on the open ground.

One such place is the Lohnbach Falls Natural Monument. Located deep in a forested gorge, surrounded by large granite boulders, the Lohnbach plunges eight metres over, under and between the moss-covered rocks. It is hard to believe, as the Lohnbach is a gentle stream above and below the gorge. The scenery is impressive all year round – at any time of day or year. Due to the wild beauty of the place, it is not surprising that the Lonhbachfall is designated as a natural monument and as part of the European Nature Reserve 'Waldviertler Teich, Moor- und Heidelandschaft'.

So, in mid-January, I found one of my winter pictures for the 2025 landscape calendar. To capture the power and immediacy of the water, I had to climb a somewhat icy rock in the middle of the cascade. The tripod was partly in the water and was set very low. The camera was only about 20cm above the waterline. In order to get the entire picture in focus, I exposed the scene with three different focus points, which I then added together in post-processing using the focus stacking technique. To compensate for the shallower depth of field of the medium format sensor, I photographed it with an aperture of f/20. The Fujifilm GF 20-35mm f/4 lens delivers the performance and quality I need. Although I chose a focal length of 20mm, the subject is sharp right into the corners.

The Waldviertel (Woodquater) is located in the north of Austria. It is known and loved for its pristine landscape, mystical forests, 'wide' skies, breathtaking light moods and, for Austria, lonely stretches. For my 'Land in Sight' photo project, I have been making large photo landscape portraits of the Waldviertel (Woodquater) for many years.