Focrates

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The Bison shoot in Colorado resulted in not only one of the best images of the year it was also the most intense and exciting shoots I ever had. Getting close and personal with a 900 kg animal is simply an exceptional experience.

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The robber fly is a subject that I'd love to explore more from a photographic point of view, but they are unfortunately quite rare and comparatively small in Austria. This picture was taken in the USA.

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The Bridge of Sighs in Venice. The boring weather and lighting conditions had me convert this into black and white, which resulted in a fairly simple yet still powerful image that captures the spirit of the city nicely.

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Zion National Park in Utah was one of the most visually stunning places I was able to visit this year. In my opinion a great landscape is a necessary but not always sufficient requirement for a great landscape photo. A two dimensional image can often not convey the feeling that actually being there would evoke. It is important that the photographer includes a clue that adds some depth to the picture, and that is exactly what the weathered log in the foreground is for.

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Hohensalzburg Castle and the old town of Salzburg in some very dramatic lighting conditions.

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Another exceptional landscape of the American Southwest - the Great Sand Dunes in the San Luis Valley.

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Canale Grande in Venice. I was pretty unlucky with the weather in Venice but the first evening had an amazingly colorful sunset. Luckily I was at the right spot.

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Salzburg is one of the cities that offer a variety of great viewpoints from above due to the hills within the town. Just set up your tripod at the right time of day in proper conditions and some good pictures are almost guaranteed.

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My photographic year of 2016 was of course dominated by my two months trip to the United States. Therefore, here is yet another famous American landscape - the Grand Canyon at sunrise. I risked quite a lot to get this picture - if you want to know more please refer to this article.

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The undisputed number one of 2016 is this rare shot of a young yet fully grown Wapiti bull under almost perfect conditions. The great light and position of the animal as well as the magnificent antlers in full velvet add up to my most compelling shot of the year.

Best of 2016