HomePhotographyInto the Woods: Hochstände Peaceful yet Brutal Scenes Deep in the Forests in Munich, Germany Hochstände, (also known as Ansitze), is the German name for the tall wooden structures, in which hunters sit and wait for deer to wander past before shooting them. Taken in the many forests of Bavaria, around Munich, German photographer Robert Götzfried’s ongoing series of photographs explores the special relationship that Germans have with the forest. ‘They love the forest, but at the same time they have that creepy image of it, like in the fairy tale Hänsel & Gretel, for example,’ Robert explained to The Plus. He wishes to depict the dreamy and peaceful silence of the forest, whilst juxtaposing it with the brutal objects of focus. ‘With the Hochstände in there, you can almost hear the shot. It’s very silent and peaceful, but there’s that cruel kind of brutality in the pictures as well.’ Be sure to check out Robert’s brand new project, The Things I Found, which invites authors to come up with imaginative stories for the origins of lost items, which he has found and photographed. Robert told us a little more about Hochstände: The Plus: What is your typical working style? Robert Götzfried: I always work in series and my work has been very graphic so far. I guess I tried to stick to my own rules, but switching over to something more organic than architecture here. All of my series are lifetime projects. The POOLS, the tunnels, the stadiums, the cinemas – I never stop working on them. TP: And how did you develop the idea for this series? RG: I forced myself to stick to a very strict picture concept. In the end it’s maybe something like a romantic and graphic nature series. TP: Which equipment did you use? RG: Canon 6D. The 6D is perfect for low light conditions. I’m using several Lenses like the Canon 16-35 L 4 IS, Canon 24-105 L IS, Tamron 70-200 2,8 VC USD, Canon 100-400 L IS and many more. And of course, a tripod.
