“Photography is just wonderful! It gives me the freedom to do whatever I want without anyone interfering…”
Thaddäus Biberauer is a self-taught Austrian photographer, whose profoundly absorbing, ethereal compositions, captivate and intrigue.
Thaddäus harbored an interest in art from an early age. He was long fascinated with the involuntary feeling that a painting, sculpture, or photograph could galvanize: “…It’s a beautiful thing if my subconscious tells me I like what I see here”.
Yet, somewhat remarkably, he only purchased his first camera in 2019, and it was barely a year ago that he began using it regularly. His purchase, whilst inspired by his interest in arts, was primarily a means to counter the boredom of the quotidian routine, to focus, challenge himself, and, in his own words, ‘make everyday life more interesting’.
He quickly became hooked, and his newfound passion changed his life dramatically. Though he had long held a deep appreciation for his surroundings, his new tool accentuated this considerably, heightening his senses to the degree where previously unremarkable scenes became profoundly fascinating compositions, just waiting to be transcribed.
“Photography helps me to appreciate all the little things in life. It helps me to pay more attention to my surroundings, and to see the world with different eyes.”
Living in rural Austria, the natural landscapes provide endless outlets for his creativity. He spent his time wandering the fields, forests, and river banks, capturing compelling moments of transient beauty with innate artistry, as well as a considerable dexterity that belies his inexperience and lack of formal training.
Through his eyes, flower-filled meadows, evergreen forests, and winding country roads, become deeply absorbing, painterly compositions, imbued with an ethereal ambiance, as though they are fragments of dreams or memories.
Impeccable framing, creative manipulation of light, and the clever use of several different techniques (such as long exposures), both whilst capturing the image and during the post-production process, elevate undoubtedly beautiful scenes into something more.
He works, for the most part, instinctively, drawing on his intuition and the specific conditions, to capture images that he later manipulates to further imprint his distinct sensibility.
“I usually don’t plan shots they just happen whilst I’m walking around outdoors. Whenever I go somewhere I always look around and stop if I see something interesting. So for me, the route to a destination is often the most important part of finding something good and new.”
After spending those formative photographic months in his local surroundings, more recently, he has also turned his lens to places further afield.
Though, regardless of location, his photographs retain his distinct, poetic visual language, and galvanize that same subconscious and indefinable response in the viewer that sparked his own interest in art a number of years ago.
All images © Thaddäus Biberauer