Me

I am Kai Hornung, a landscape and fine art photographer, author, and speaker based in Hanover, Germany. My work captures nature's beauty and diversity — quiet or dramatic, but always images that sing.

My images have garnered international acclaim, winning several awards (such as Winner Photograph of the year 2020 in the “International Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards”, Shortlist Sony World Photo and many others). They’ve also been featured globally in prestigious publications like National Geographic, Elements, and Condé Nast. In 2022, I was honored to be one of the 30 most prominent landscape photographers represented in the art book “Voice of the Eyes”.

Alongside creating my own art, I love sharing my knowledge and passion through workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and speaking engagements (for Out Of Chicago Live, Zingst Horizonte Festival, International Photo Festival GDT Lünen, Nature Photography Classes, Photo and Adventure VIenna, amongst many others). Over the last few years, I have been very active as an author, primarily through magazine articles, my regular newsletters, and blogs. My first book, Landschaft anders sehen (A Different Way of Seeing Landscape), is being published in November 2026 by dpunkt Verlag.

My teaching experience extends beyond photography — years of leading professional training programs have shaped my approach to instruction. I'm also a judge for various photo contests and work on assignments for brands and organizations seeking unique landscape perspectives.

You’ll find me actively connecting with my audience on Instagram, where more than 135,000 people follow my work. I am KASE FILTERS brand ambassador.

My Journey

Photography has been part of my life since 2016 when a trip to Ireland shifted my view of the world and sparked a deep passion for landscape photography. In the years since, I’ve traveled extensively, photographing the landscapes of many European countries like Iceland, Norway, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and Germany. I established my photo business in 2018 and started working as a part-time professional photographer in 2022, complementing my primary job as an HR consultant.

Before photography, my creativity found expression in music. I’ve been a singer and songwriter, playing in alternative rock bands since my teens. Music has taught me the importance of connection — crafting something others can feel, relate to, and experience. Photography is an extension of this: I aim to make my images sing, evoking a sense of mood and emotion that resonates on a personal level.

Getting to know many different people through my photography has made me aware of how much images can move and connect people all over the planet. For this, I am very grateful.

I am a father of 2 great children, and I make my living with my main job as a human resources consultant. Many years ago, I earned my university degree as a business economist. Recruiting and training people and also being a keynote speaker in German and English have been some of my main professional tasks. My experience teaching adults and being in front of cameras and microphones has been a big part of my success in presenting and teaching photography.

I was born in 1975. The year “Jaws” hit the big screen, and “Bohemian Rhapsody“ from Queen went on the air. That was quite some time ago. When I was a young boy, I wanted to be a football pro. Next, I wanted to be a tennis pro like Boris Becker. Although I wasn’t bad at sports, I learned that being creative was my main driving force. So I started singing and writing lyrics and ultimately formed a band with friends when I was 17: Sonic Front. With this heavy alternative electronic rock band I played many concerts, recorded albums, won a band contest, and got radio and TV airplay. I am still in a band to this day: Soon Is Now (including concerts, albums, and videos).

Vision

My vision is simple: I aspire to create personal images that move the viewer — lingering in the mind like a song that resonates long after it ends.

Inspired by artists like Mark Rothko, I strive to blend abstraction with reality, inviting interpretation and connection. True art, I believe, lives in the viewer's mind, growing with personal reflection. My style leans toward creating space within each frame to allow room for interpretation, encouraging each viewer to bring their own perspective into the frame.

My work has naturally evolved into a thoughtful style that balances clarity with interpretation, offering space for contemplation. In this, I embrace ambiguity in my photography (and the words of my song lyrics) — not for the sake of hiding away from the viewer, listener, or reader but because I believe that true art arises inside the audience's mind. As Minor White said, “…the mental image in a viewer's mind is more important than the photograph itself.”

The more I do ‘open up‘ an image, the more I let you, the viewer, in.

To anyone passionate about photography: trust the journey, stay curious, and let your work be an expression of what you love. When people ask how to improve, my answer is simple — pursue your passion with dedication. True artistry comes from the heart, and I hope you feel that authenticity in every image I share.

I am a member of GDT, FOKUS NATURFOTOGRAFIE and NATURE FIRST (click logos for more info)

Companies and partners I work or have worked for/collaborated with

KASE FILTERS (brand ambassador)

THE HEAT COMPANY (sponsored)

Allianz Deutschland, Sony, Skylum, CeWe, Xiaomi, Squarespace, Niedersachsen Tourismus, Elements Magazine, Condé Nast, Kase, f-stop, Haida (global), Haida Deutschland, Zingst Kur- und Tourismus GmbH, Out Of Chicago, Chip Foto Video, , H&Y, Xencelabs, Amber Lotus, Hotel Icaro, Visit Faroe Islands, Sirui, CampEasy, Lotus Car Rental, Roadsurfer, Kuku Campers, 5DayDeal, Zielfoto Magazin, f18 Malente, Nature Photography Collective, Travel to Nature, Thürmer Tours