Dennis Oswald - Weather & Landscape Photography

Dennis Oswald is a multi-talented weather and landscape photographer from Neuss in the Rhine district of North Rhine-Westphalia. He has always been passionate about photography, but weather phenomena have always been his favourite. Through his pictures he discovered his fascination for natural spectacles and wanted to better understand the connections between them. This curiosity eventually led him to study meteorology and geology - an unusual 'reverse' career path in which it was not nature that brought him to photography, but photography that sparked his passion for weather phenomena and the forces of nature.

For 25 years he has travelled to remote areas to capture stunning weather and landscape images. Today, he uses his in-depth knowledge to capture spectacular storms around the world with impressive precision. His photographs show the forces of nature not only in their awesome power, but also in their dynamism and grace - a mesmerising beauty that can be felt in every image.

He is particularly fond of supercells and tornadoes in the Midwest of the USA, whose formation and movement he is often able to predict thanks to his meteorological knowledge. He is not only interested in documenting these weather phenomena, but also in their aesthetic and artistic staging. His images combine these powerful natural phenomena with an extraordinary visual language that captivates the viewer. They convey not only the raw power of nature, but also its fragile beauty.

Being in the right place at the right time - planning is important for landscape photographers, but for weather photographers it is essential and starts months before the trip. As the peak season for thunderstorms in the USA is between April and June, Dennis sets out a rough itinerary as early as December and arranges flights, car hire and the necessary paperwork. Mobile internet access and special weather software are needed to forecast and track the thunderstorms. There is no fixed route, the weather determines the route. The vast plains, sparse population and well-developed road network in the USA provide ideal conditions for getting to the scene in time to capture spectacular images.

As well as storms, Dennis is fascinated by the stark beauty and quiet wilderness of America's deserts and semi-deserts. What may seem monotonous to many is to Dennis an awe-inspiring world of textures, colours and bizarre formations - a play of light and shadow that is particularly striking at dawn and dusk. His photographs are characterised by their brilliance and unusual composition. He often uses low perspectives to emphasise spatial depth and deliberately integrates elements in the foreground to create tension and dynamism in his images.

Dennis's work has been featured in National Geographic, Geo and Stern magazines, in numerous exhibitions and in his book Heaven and Hell, published with photographer Adrian Rohnfelder in 2023. The book features his spectacular images of thunderstorms and weather phenomena in the sky alongside breathtaking volcanic landscapes - scenes that seem to have emerged from an earthly hell.

[ Text 10Photos ]

10Fotos meint: Dennis Oswald ist mehr als nur ein Fotograf. Er ist ein Jäger des perfekten Moments, ein Chronist der Naturgewalten und ein Künstler, der das Epische der Natur ebenso meisterhaft einfängt wie das Detail. Seine Aufnahmen zeigen Landschaften nicht nur in ihrer ursprünglichen Schönheit, sondern oft auch in einer fast surrealen Anmutung. Ob imposante Stürme oder filigrane Wüstenstrukturen, Dennis verbindet wissenschaftliche Präzision mit ästhetischer Gestaltung und fängt nicht nur die gewaltige Kraft der Natur ein, sondern schafft Bilder, die selbst unvergleichlich kraftvoll sind. Er zeigt damit, dass wahre Meisterwerke nicht nur von Naturgewalten, sondern auch von einem außergewöhnlichen Regisseur geschaffen werden. Das ist ganz großes Kino, das sich vor „Twister“ nicht zu verstecken braucht. Hier gibt es auf jeden Fall einen Oscar in der Kategorie „Bestes Bild“.

You can find more pictures and information about Dennis Oswald on his website dennisoswald.de, Instagram @dennisoswald and Facebook as well as on YouTube. His unique book can be purchased here: Heaven and Hell.

…