Wolfgang Steiner Photography

A lot of beautiful citys…

Temples all around the world…

Taking picture underwater is great fun, but not easy. In my first visit on the maldives in 1988 i was diving with Herwarth Voigtmann. In 1976 he won the price as the world’s best underwater photographer. I cannot say that I have learned a lot from him, as i was just 21 years old at that time, but i was deeply impressed from the photos Leni Riefenstahl took from Herwarth when a shark ate a fish he had in his mouth. Truly a crazy guy…

Only pure landscapes

For me, Namibia is one of the most scenic countries on our planet. And since I was 21, when I first traveled to the Maldives in 1988, I have already seen a lot of countries.

The people are extremely friendly and helpful and the food is excellent. And considering the effort it takes to get all the luxury goods into the country, which make the vacation extraordinary for us spoiled tourists, you really have to take your hat off to all the lodge operators. Because it is they who take care of all the logistics behind it and bear all the risk (financially).

Because where else can you look at absolutely untouched nature that still looks exactly like God - even if this is only an invention of us humans - created millions of years ago.

Many photographers who claim to be “landscape photographers” have never seen real unspoiled nature in front of their lens without knowing it. In Namibia, however, every iPhone user is a potential landscape photographer.

But as always in life, everything has two sides and where there is an abundance of light, there are of course also shadows. For me, this shadow is the pricing policy of the beautiful lodges (Onguma The Fort, Okonjima, Gocheganas, Sossus Dune Lodge, etc.). Because the vast majority of holidaymakers do not start camping because they want to travel to southern Africa for the first time.

And even really badly run lodges (albeit with a great waterhole), such as the state-run Okaukuejo Camp, now charge 500 euros per night for half board in one of the Premier Waterhole Chalet’s (required for families with children).

And so there are really only two options for the next few years if you want to fulfill your dream of a long-awaited Namibia holiday.

1.) To accept that between 500 and 1000 euros are due per night
2.) Or to camp

Many travelers to Namibia would strongly disagree at this point and argue that there are so many cheap accommodations. Yes, eh ... but they are never where you want to go. After all, what good is cheap accommodation at Mopane Village Lodge if I want to watch the animals at the waterhole in Okaukuejo at sunset?

Or what alternative do you have if you want to see the rhinos in the Gocheganas Nature Reserve?

In this section you can find real wildlife photography.

The topic in this section are photos that were taken outdoor (mostly during the night) in the ultraviolet spectrum. However, I don't think it help’s anybody if I try to explain the difficulties in taking pictures at night in the ultraviolet spectrum.

Most photographers already stop to think about this special topic when they hear that a 2” Baader U-Filter for nearly 400.- Euro is absolutely necessary. And here we still don’t talk about a full spectrum modified DSLR or a special lens, like the Noflexar which was used for most of my japan photos in this section.

Ultraviolet photography itself is the most difficult subject during the day in bright sunshine. During the night everyone says it is impossible to think.

If you ask photographers from the Rorslet Forum, there is no ultraviolet photography at night. And most Photographers would agree, but in fact everything is possible with enough passion and love.

Check them out…

Böhm’s Zeederberg Country House is located on the R536 between Sabie and Hazyview in South Africa

Every desert is a very unique place….

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That was the original design from my homepage in 2004

Describing the famous Deadvlei to someone who has never been in a desert is very difficult for me. From our point of view, Namibia itself is already a very distant country and I'm not talking about the cultural differences, which are huge, no,
I'm only talking about the distance.

My first arrival in 2007 is unforgettable for me. I took over the huge Toyota and the asphalt road ended as soon as I left
the capital Windhoek. I will probably remember the next 6 hours on gravel and sand tracks forever. Just like arriving at
the gate an hour late, namely after sunset.

At the gate is a small campsite where I was assigned a place. When I got there, I immediately trotted towards the restaurant
and enjoyed a few cool beers. The next morning the cold in my sleeping bag woke me up and when I looked at the clock I knew
it was time to leave. It takes a good hour to drive 66km on the paved road. After that it gets tricky, because the last 4 km
are deep sand and can only be managed with special 4x4 vehicles.

But even if you manage to do this yourself, you are only in a practically unmarked place where you can park. The actual
Deadvlei is seen from the parking lot behind two other dune ridges that can only be reached on foot after a very strenuous
hike of about one hour.

The whole thing would certainly be easier without the 20kg photo equipment on my back and the heavy Gitzo in my hand,
but those who make the pilgrimage to the famous Deadvlei are usually also gifted photographers and want to show what they
can do there. A master's test among photographers, so to speak.

Long before my arrival in 2007, I had carefully examined the images taken by the photographers who had been there before
me and found that the vast majority had stuck to standard focal lengths. This was clearly evident from the photos posted
on the internet. So it was clear to me long before my visit. Anything but standard lenses.