Kai Hornung

German landscape and fine art photographer

Me

I am a landscape and fine art photographer based in Hanover, Germany. My images showcase the beauty and diversity of nature, from intimate and abstract scenes to wide and dramatic vistas. Best described as landscape photography art. I aim to capture more while including less.

My work has received international recognition, including winning several awards (Winner Photograph of the year 2020 in the “International Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards”, Shortlist Sony World Photo and many others) and been published worldwide in renowned magazines and online media outlets such as National Geographic, Elements and Condé Nast. In 2022 I was one of 30 international landscape photographers represented in the art book “Voice of the Eyes”.

In addition to creating my own art, I enjoy sharing my knowledge and passion for photography with others through workshops, keynotes and talks, articles, and one-on-one teaching. I have also served as a judge in several photo contests and have worked on assignments for various companies.

You can find me on Instagram, where more than 140,000 people follow me, also on Facebook, Twitter, Mastodon, Vero, Flickr etc..

I am supported by THE HEAT COMPANY.

Background

Photographing Lofoten, Norway (Image by: Mikkel Beiter)

Photographing Lofoten, Norway (Image by: Mikkel Beiter)

I started to get into photography in mid 2016. Meaning I wanted to learn more than just playing around with a camera and capturing my children and holiday experiences like I had before. Traveling to Ireland in 2016 literally opened my eyes to landscape photography. I started to see nature in a way I hadn´t before, which has definitely enriched my life. And still does every time I step outside. In the following years I have travelled and photographed countries like for example Iceland, Norway, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Spain and of course within my home country Germany. In 2022 I decided work part time in my main job and part time with my photography business.

Daily interaction with my audience on social media – mainly Instagram, has made me aware how much images can move and connect people all over the planet. For this I am very grateful.

Kai Hornung.jpg

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 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 in 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 is quite some time ago, actually. 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 in sports I learned that being creative was my main driving force. So I started singing and writing lyrics and ultimately formed a band together 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 und tv airplay.  I am still in a band up to this day: Soon Is Now (including concerts, albums and videos). Music has always been important to me and a way of expressing feelings and emotions to have others connect with it. When starting with photography in 2016, I learned that I could do the same with images. Now I try to make them sing.

Vision

moment of joy: steering a Cessna above Iceland in summer 2019

moment of joy: steering a Cessna above Iceland in summer 2019

Images that sing and evoke an emotional response, that grow inside the viewer’s mind and come from personal expression. This is what I am shooting for. 

I have a background as a singer and writer of song lyrics and I am trying to give my images significance and offer personal expressions that invite others to relate and emotionally connect. Just like I have been doing in bands for almost 30 years.

My vision is shaped by my love for the abstract. Be it the paintings of Mark Rothko (to name just one), or writing lyrics for my bands in which I have always embraced leaving room for interpretation. Ambiguity in words and the images I tried to visualize has always been important in my artistic endeavors. Not for the sake of hiding away from the viewer, listener or reader, but because I believe that true art arises inside the mind of the audience. Like Minor White said: “…the mental image in a viewer's mind is more important than the photograph itself.”. This does not prevent me from taking the more ‚straight forward‘ image also from time to time. But I have found that my work has evolved over the years and that I am naturally gravitating more to stir some emotion and sparking an idea inside the viewer’s mind. Or in other words: the more I do ‚open up‘ an image, the more I let you, the viewer, in.

Often I get asked on how to improve in photography and be successful. I do like to reply with: enjoy what you are doing and be passionate about it. I believe that the love and dedication for art shows. I would be more than happy to have you see this in my work.

Kai Hornung photographing Saxon Switzerland, Germany (image by: Christian G.)

Kai Hornung photographing Saxon Switzerland, Germany (image by: Christian G.)

 

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

my gear

  • Sony a7rv
  • Sony a7riii (back-up body)
  • Sony a6000 (retired)
  • Sony Gmaster 16-35, 2.8
  • Sony Gmaster 100-400, 4.5-5.6
  • Sony Gmaster 12-24, 2,8
  • Sony Makro G OSS 90, 2.8
  • Sony 70-210, 4.0
  • Sony 24-105, 4.0
  • Sigma 14, 1.8
  • Samyang 12, 2.0 (retired)
  • Sony 55-210, 4.5-6.3 (retired)
  • Sigma 30, 2.8 (retired)
  • Minolta MD Rokkor 50, 1.4
  • DJI Mavic 2 Pro
  • DJI Phantom 4 Pro Plus
  • Really Right Stuff BH-40 - ballhead
  • Benro Tortoise 34CLV - tripod
  • Sirui W2204 and T2204 - tripods (retired)
  • Kase Revolution Filters (Polarizer, ND-Filters and GND-Filters)
  • Shimoda Explore V2 35 - backpack
  • f-stop Tilopa - backpack
  • f-stop Ajna - backpack
  • f-stop Dyota - backpack
  • THE HEAT COMPANY - Heat 3 Smart Pro
  • THE HEAT COMPANY - Merino Liner Pro
  • Peak Design secure straps

click for more info about gear

I thank THE HEAT COMPANY for believing in me and supporting my work.

 

awards


after 2021 I decided to stop entering photo contests (at least for now). Here are some awards of the time before:


2021

2020

2019

Podcasts and interviews 

Gallery Block
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Cursus Amet
Pellentesque Risus Ridiculus
Porta
Etiam Ultricies
Vulputate Commodo Ligula
Elit Condimentum
Aenean eu leo Quam
Cursus Amet
Pellentesque Risus Ridiculus
Porta
Etiam Ultricies
Vulputate Commodo Ligula

2023

2022

2021

2020

  • Talking landscape - Mads Peter Iversen and Kai Hornung - YouTube

  • Im Fokus: Kai Hornung - Interview und Porträt mit Stefan Schäfer und Felix Röser - YouTube und Spotify (in German)

  • xploring light - In Conversation with KAI HORNUNG - YouTube

2018

Publications 

2023

2022

2021

2019

  • PetaPixel Dec. 2019 - 15 Inspiring Landscape Photographers

  • Chip Foto-Video, print issue 06 2019 (4-page article about drone photography)

  • Capture the atlas - the 25 best northern lights images

  • Digital Photo, print issue 11 2019 (2 page image and article; Seceda sunrise)

  • Chip Foto-Video, print issue 02 2019 (cover and 2-page article about preparing images for instagram)

  • National Geographic ‘photo of the day’, April 2019

  • Bayern´s Beste Magazin, print issue 03 2019

    2018

  • Light & Landscape Magazine, cover image and article

  • Capture Landscapes - article 'how to work light in post processing'

  • Digital Photo, print issue No. 9 2018

  • Amateur Photographer of the year competition poster

    2017

  • Amateur Photographer magazine, Dec. 2017