MPB Meets: Winter Landscape Photographer Kilian Schönberger

Kilian Schönberger has been a landscape photographer for over a decade, traveling abroad and to his local mountains in Germany. Kilian has a color vision deficiency—also commonly known as color blindness—which makes it difficult for him to identify and distinguish between certain colors. In this video, Kilian explains how he plans and takes his pictures, the impact of his color vision deficiency on his photography and his Nikon mirrorless setup, as well as his advice for landscape photography beginners. Watch the video below, or read on to learn more.

MPB: How did you get into photography?

KS: During my school years, I was more into drawing. With my first digital camera in 2003, photography became more interesting for me. When I switched to a DSLR in 2006, photography started to become an increasingly important part of my life. Through my geography studies, I traveled a lot in the field and abroad, so landscape photography quickly became the main focus.

MPB: What equipment do you use?

KS: Currently, I mainly shoot with a Nikon Z7 II and Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S, 24-120mm f/4 S and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S zoom lenses. I own a few other lenses, but the combination mentioned is the most flexible for me when I'm hiking in the mountains and forests.

MPB: How much preparation goes into your shots?

KS: My landscape photography needs a lot of preparation, especially the shots where individual trees, mountains or buildings stick out of the fog. I actually always keep an eye on the weather report and satellite images. Location scouting is also important—I now have around 12,000 entries for interesting spots in Central Europe and the Alps. So, I have an almost infinite number of ideas for motifs!

MPB: How does your color vision impairment influence your approach to photography?

KS: While photographing, I perceive landscapes a little differently than people with normal vision. Some motifs, such as poppy blossoms, look unspectacular to me. On the other hand, I probably have better vision at dusk and can orient myself better in chaotic environments like forests—and thus discover motifs easier than most people.

MPB: How do you design your shots to emphasize pattern and texture rather than color?

KS: The position of the individual picture elements in relation to each other is very important—especially in forest photography. I try to integrate a kind of visual rhythm in the images, where each tree has enough visual space to work.

MPB: Can you tell us about the importance of light in your photography?

KS: I like to see my pictures as stage sets that the viewers can virtually explore with their eyes. The light makes the scenes really come alive because it creates depth and ‘plasticity’. In this respect, the planning of light—and its effect—is essential in the preparation of my photographs.

MPB: Do you have any tips for landscape photography beginners or rules to follow as a photographer?

KS: I think it's important to develop your own style. Just rattling off a bucket list that is easy to photograph does not lead to an exciting portfolio. Technical perfection should also leave room for storytelling, whether in photography or post-processing. Sometimes, the imperfect is more exciting because the eye has to deal with it longer than with a perfect shot.

MPB: What project are you working on at the moment?

KS: This weekend, I'm going to Lanzarote for a week to give a workshop and two lectures. Besides that, there are the big and small commissions and a lot of time at the desk. If I'm lucky—and if the weather plays along—I can hopefully capture a few winter motifs that have been on my mind for a while.

Discover our advice for photographing in cold weather, our guide to shooting the Northern Lights or discover more interviews on the MPB Content Hub.