Interview: Outdoor photographer Hitsch Rogantini

«Photography has changed me»

The Swiss outdoor photographer, ski instructor and nature man Hitsch Rogantini is known for his sensitive and impressive animal and landscape photographs, not only from the Swiss mountains. We talked to him about the current situation, his photographic view of the world and his future plans.

Hitsch Rogantini, you have always been a photographer, but you only became a professional photographer late in life. For us it's a nice example that the right moment can happen at any time. What was your moment when the "photo virus" finally got hold of you?

When I looked at my first successful picture. When I understood how I can create pictures and how I have to manipulate the camera to do so. It is a constant process of development and constant learning. My view has changed a lot - I see the world differently, look at things more closely and recognize images that I would not have noticed before. Photography has changed me, my everyday life has become more exciting again. And above all, it has become much more creative again. I didn't want to give that away anymore.

... on the subject of the virus, the current question of all questions: How have you encountered the Corona situation so far?

As a photographer, I thought for a long time about how I could capture the changed conditions with my camera. I soon realized that my ideas could not be realized as I thought. So I rejected everything. Here in Klosters I live almost like in a bubble - you don't feel the changes as strongly as you probably would in a city. Then I was out and about in nature a lot and you don't feel any changes there anyway. Fortunately. The physical separation from my partner, the photographer Dawna Mueller, shows me that something is no longer as it should be. She is with her children in Vancouver, where they went to boarding school until the lockdown and now do home schooling with their mother.

Showdown

Back to the moment. Her animal shots often seem to capture "the" moment and yet are well thought out or planned. What is your approach?

There are two main differences: For an upcoming expedition the preparation is already very complex and starts many months before the start of the trip. On an expedition we are a group of about 12 photographers with three guides. One lives on the ship and uses it as a base. We visit different places and go ashore in rubber dinghies, explore fjords with them or get close to wild animals on the drift ice. Our guides are all photographers and therefore know very well what we are looking for. Expeditions are very intensive - you sleep little, take photos around the clock and the rest of the time you load the data onto your computer and batteries.

If I take pictures here at home, I plan and prepare myself thoroughly. The single shootings are of course shorter. But I start many attempts over a longer period. The time windows in which something special happens, like rutting or mating, the appearance of young animals ..., usually last 3-6 weeks. It is important to use this time.

Of course I only take the equipment I absolutely need with me. Cameras and lenses are heavy and in contrast to the expeditions I am at home on foot or skis and have to carry the equipment everywhere. So the weight is crucial.

Backyard

What do you have to consider if you want to shoot good animal pictures?

Whether in the Arctic region or here in the Alps - there are several factors to consider for good animal pictures: You need a lot of patience and time and have to accept many attempts. You cannot control or direct wild animals. By the way, I do not feed wild animals or try to provoke certain behaviour. I want to photograph the animals in their natural, as relaxed behaviour as possible. Of course it helps a lot if you also inform yourself about the individual species. The better you understand animals, the better you can adapt your own behaviour. If you are relaxed and calm yourself, this also applies to the animals.

If I can't move during the shots to not frighten the animals (especially when working with birds) I have to choose my location very well and decide on the basis of the most exciting composition and the light conditions. Of course the animals will surely appear at a different location and then the only thing that helps is to improvise, hope and trust that things will go better next time. I often want to record during special weather conditions (snowstorm, rain, etc.), then it is necessary to wait until the forecasts announce appropriate conditions. This requires a certain amount of flexibility to be ready at hour X.

Spritztour

The wink

Her landscapes are atmospherically dense, literally drawing the viewer into the picture with their spatiality. How do you choose the photographed sceneries or how do you choose your destinations?

Sure, I also travel a lot for landscape pictures without taking pictures. At first I concentrate on finding the right location for a planned shot. I then spend a lot of time in the terrain and observe the changes. What do I see in the morning light, what I don't see in the evening or vice versa. I take many pictures of one and the same landscape. This way I experience the landscape and find the setup for the final shot.

I love polar space and I love mountains, ice and snow. I feel very comfortable in such areas and therefore these regions and their wildlife are in focus. I am interested in the rough and inhospitable nature of these regions.

To define travel destinations out of this has a lot to do with lengthy research work. I study maps, read books on different topics, look at pictures of other photographers or talk to those who may have been to a place I want to go. But in the end, it's always the gut feeling that counts; many decisions are made spontaneously. As a photographer it is not enough to persistently pursue a goal; you always have to expect the unexpected, remain open and flexible.

Switzerland in its diversity is a paradise for photographers. What else is on your Swiss "Bucket list"?

Wow, the list is long. There is so much that I would like to see and experience for myself. I don't necessarily want to photograph everything. I have become more selective and have increasing demands on a photograph. Above all, I am looking for pictures that you don't see everywhere. Sure, you also take classic pictures (pictures that you have taken many times and by many others). In the beginning it is part of the learning process that you try to reproduce certain images. But actually I am looking for my own visual language and for that you need your own compositions. The local mountain and animal world will always be a magnet for me and there is still a lot to do.

Flat out

So it remains a bit of a secret, but we will certainly be able to see the results soon in your photos, books and exhibitions. Do you have plans for this year or next year?

The last exhibition was last winter season in Davos, again with great success. I am currently working on an exhibition next year. And there will also be a new book. The work on it is in its early stages, so it will take a little longer. But that doesn't matter, because: it will definitely remain exciting, for me and therefore hopefully for you as well.

What other simple tip for better photos can you give our readers?

Photograph more consciously and design your pictures! Avoid midday when the sun is shining, as the light is very harsh then - in the morning and evening you will find more exciting light conditions.

Also for our readers: What is your photographic "always there" equipment?

Two camera bodies (one as a replacement or to avoid having to change lenses all the time), the required lenses, sufficiently charged batteries and sufficient memory cards. Always with me are countless glasses cleaning cloths to clean the lenses and very important: my binoculars.