Juerg Stahl

This series was my final project in the Academy from Swiss Photo Club Zurich in 2025. It is an invitation to quiet reflection. It features animals in their natural habitats, captured close to home in Switzerland as well as across journeys through Antarctica, Northern Europe, Japan, the USA, Canada, and the Himalayas. I deeply believe that wildlife photographers carry the responsibility to convey a meaningful message through their work—one that inspires viewers to protect our natural world as a whole.

Yet, these images are more than simple documentation of wildlife and their environments. In the studio, I transform them through experimental techniques. By incorporating elements such as light, water, fire and other elements in diverse forms, I create new dimensions of perception. The final studio photograph captures a hybrid composition, where the original image is woven into a broader creative context. These hybrid images are not critiques, but rather invitations that encourage viewers to engage thoughtfully with the work.

This series celebrates the beauty of nature and its habitats, reminding us that their preservation is vital for our survival. Only through a holistic view of ecosystems—as interdependent and connected—can we develop sustainable solutions that honor nature’s balance and foster harmony. As environmental degradation accelerates, endangering biodiversity and climate stability, our future hinges on how wisely and carefully we rise to this challenge.

This call to action transcends conservation alone; it is a profound plea to reassess our values, lifestyles, and relationships with the natural world. By nurturing empathy and respect for all life forms, we can cultivate stewardship that goes beyond individual interest toward the collective well-being of our planet. The images presented here are not mere portraits of wildlife—they are windows into the intricate web of life, urging us to act with wisdom and care before these wonders are lost forever.

I invite you to be curious:
How did this picture come about?
What does it want to tell me?