Michael Jaeschke worked as a country doctor for many years, most recently spending 28 years in Wesermarsch. Photography has always been a part of his life, albeit only on a part-time basis. Since 2014, however, he has devoted his full attention to it. His photographic travels have taken him to the Sahara, the Alps, European nature reserves, the Rocky Mountains, and North American national parks, as well as repeatedly to the far north of Scandinavia and Iceland. These regions, with their clear forms and ancient landscapes, have had a profound influence on him. He worked with analogue medium format for a long time, first with Leica and Rollei and later with Fuji Velvia, before switching to digital medium format. This technical continuity is reflected in the special depth of detail and tranquillity of his images.

At the 10Photos gallery, Michael's work focuses on one subject above all else: trees. More than that, he captures their personalities. There are old beech trees with gnarled trunks, birch groves bathed in soft light, roots washed by water and trees covered in snow. The consistent use of black and white enhances the graphic effect, drawing the eye to structures, lines, and the interplay of light and shadow. Colour would only be a distraction here. The result is a quiet, almost timeless visual language that reveals the cycle of nature impressively.

Michael and his wife run Galerie Weser 12, a small gallery with an adjoining guesthouse near the Sababurg primeval forest in the Weser Valley. The Kellerwald National Park, the Harz Mountains and the Hainich are all within easy reach from there – regions where Michael has been photographing 'his' trees for years. Repeatedly visiting the same places lends depth and authenticity to his work. These are not quick snapshots, but rather quiet studies of time, change and constancy.

As well as his studies of trees, his work includes classic landscapes of deserts, mountains and the northern regions of Europe. However, his signature style is most clearly expressed in his minimalist forest and tree photographs: calm, structured images imbued with a great sense of inner concentration.

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