I´m Kai Hornung, ask me anything

[kai (Kai Hornung)]

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Hi, I’m Kai Hornung, a landscape and fine art photographer based in Hanover, Germany. I am excited to do this AMA with you here at NPN.

For me, inspiration is everything. It’s what drives my photography, my teaching, and my creative journey. I have been creative ever since childhood when drawing images with dinosaurs and spaceships. Later, I wanted to become a professional soccer or tennis player. When I was a teenager, another form of expression entered my life and never left: being a singer of a rock band and writing lyrics for our own songs. As a child of the 80s and 90s, music videos were deeply engrained, so having visuals in mind while writing vocal lines and lyrics came naturally. Photography was a fun side hobby. I captured family travels and my kids and played around with being creative with a camera.

From 2016 on, I started to embark on a journey to 'really‘ get into photography, registered my photo business in 2018, and made the jump into part-time professional photography in 2022. By then, I had guided and led some workshops, won some awards, saw my images get published globally, and was happy to see my audience grow. Over the years, my photography has grown into both a career and a passion that continually challenges and inspires me. My current project, writing my first book, Finding Small, has been a deeply reflective process. It’s pushed me to explore not just why I photograph but also how each person’s unique life journey shapes their artistic voice. Our images are a great way to communicate with each other beyond what words can do. My experiences as a musician and my love for different arts taught me about storytelling, emotion, and the power of art to connect with people on a personal level. That same desire to evoke emotion and tell stories now guides my work as an artist.

I work in HR four days a week and have mentored and taught young professionals for over 20 years. This experience helps tremendously in teaching photography. Assisting others to unlock their creative potential and discover their own creative voices is one of the most rewarding parts of doing photo workshops or onlinementoring.

I look forward to receiving your questions and contributing to this inspiring community.

Website: https://kaihornung.com/

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[michael2 (Michael Ruhdorfer)]

Hi Kai,
first of all: I really love your style and your work. You’re a brilliant artist!
How do you decide when to use focus stacking or multiple exposures and how do you execute them in field?
Best regards and many thanks in advance, Michael

[kai (Kai Hornung)]

Hi Michael,

Welcome to NPN, and thank you for your kind words! I truly appreciate it.

That is a good question. Quite honestly, I try to avoid focus stacking and or exposure blending whenever I can. Putting those files together on the computer is so tedious to me, although Photoshop (and for focus stacking Helicon Focus) does a good job. So, I prefer to make my life easy without having to blend anything.

But, of course, this isn’t always possible. If I want to achieve sharpness throughout, I usually go for this workflow:

1. Ask myself: does the image really need sharpness throughout, or is it maybe better to have a foreground out of focus (as an example), because it helps the viewer`s eyes get a better feel for the story of the image? We landscape photographers sometimes religiously try to achieve sharpness throughout because we think this is how it is done correctly. The truth is: you are the artist, so why not do it in another way?

2. If I decide to go for sharpness all the way, I close the aperture down to f18 or even further and take a shot.

3. To be safe, I take several additional images with an aperture of around f13 (if conditions allow) and several focus points (from front to back). Or: if I photograph an abstract straight down, I take one image with focus dead center and then add 4 -6 more exposures clockwise to cover all sides (top to bottom and left to right)

4. On the computer, I check if my first image with the closed aperture already provides enough sharpness. Most often, it does. If not, I stitch the different exposures (of step 3) together.

With exposure blending in extreme dynamic scenes, I also try to get away with as few images as possible. With modern cameras, you do not usually need any exposure blending, or you can get away with one exposure for the ground and one for the sky nicely.

Have a great day, Michael! And thank you for your question.

Kai

[michael2 (Michael Ruhdorfer)]

Thank you for your quick and detailed response. It helps a lot and is much appreciated!

I totally agree with your point of view and also use these techniques pretty rarely.

Just referring to point 2: on which object/part of the image do you set your focus point when you try to get everything sharp within a single shot? I’m sometimes not sure if I should go for the foreground, middleground or the background. I know it really depends on the situation, the distances and the focal length but may you have a rule or something which helps in these situations?

Also for longer focal lengths (100mm and above). If I shoot a picture of mountain layers for example and the closest one isn’t that far away there is no chance to get everything in focus within one shot, right?!

[kai (Kai Hornung)]

@Michael2: You are welcome!

You know, the most hated answer from photo instructors (and lawyers) is: it depends. Then again, it does.

If you frame something and want to get your image, something must draw your attention. It makes sense to get that in focus. This sounds somewhat trivial, I know. But sometimes, we need to keep this simple concept in mind, with all the advice and so-called rules out there. Remember, in creative work there is no one thing fits all. And I am happy about that, because that opens the door for creative freedom.

But for a starting point: if you photograph a classic landscape scene (a wide vista) with a wider lense and an aperture of about f8, you should be fine with focusing about a third into the frame (you can use helping lines in your camera display for reference). BUT again, it depends: have an extraordinary flower right up front and a mountain behind in the distance, that approach will not suffice. Again: identify your most important elements in the frame and put your focus on that. If it is said flower, go for that. The more you close your aperture the more depth of field you will have. Maybe take a test shot and check if that covers your needs.
Flower sharp. Mountain not so much? Can you live with it (is it like in reality that far away objects arent tack sharp to the eye?)? Then you are fine. If not, go for focus bracketing.

Digital photography comes with the added bonus that you can try several settings and check the results of many different images on the computer later. Trust your eyes more than good advice. If it looks fine to you, it most likely is.

For the example of the mountain layers you are giving: in that instance, most likely no. Not possible. Again, try closing the aperture (keep in mind: aperture closed all the way will most likely result in soft corners), maybe you will come away with a result, that still satisfy you. As long as you are unsure, try, try, try. Check the results. You will soon learn how your gear performs in demanding situations and that experience will help you next time you are in the field.

One last thing: does the distant mountain need to be tack sharp, when the one up front already is? Most of the time it is not possible no matter what gear you use, because the atmosphere/haze in between the huge distance of the mountains blurs the image.
See it as a positive: that creates depth. Usually something we want. …honestly, I sometimes frown, when I see images with a tack sharp element up front and a tack sharp peak in the back of a mountain half a world away. To me this is not what I see with my eyes and just looks a bit fake.

…sorry for the long answer

[wizsnapsalot (Joseph E Prater)]

Hi Kai, thanks for being on here to share your beautiful work. I really love your processing and compositional skills. If I am to understand your bio. You still work part time in HR to supplement your income? I am currently trying to obtain a remote version of my current job (Lidar data processing/GiS data tech) so I can travel more often and become the best landscape photographer that I can be.

How do you balance the work and life if so and what are some of the best ways to get your work out there into the world to make landscape photographer not just a way to make a living but a way of life.

[kai (Kai Hornung)]

@wizsnapsalot Hey Joseph,

thank you so much for your kindness!

Oh boy, where do I start? First of all, it is more the other way around: my income from photography supplements my main income from HR. I work four days a week in a regular office job, and Fridays are off for photography.

I am happy I could transform something I love as a hobby into a (side) career. The truth is, ever since I made that jump, I have photographed less. Do not underestimate the little things that come up when running a business. I am amazed (maybe not the right term) at how many bills come in just to keep a business running. Taxes are a huge part of it.

So, I spend a lot of time planning and organizing workshops, communicating with customers and business partners, writing articles, and making presentations. This is what keeps me busy on Fridays. If you asked my wife, she would say, I work all the time.

That is all good, and I am not complaining. But it is way less ‘romantic’ than one might think. And the struggle for time is always present. (Needless to say, if the day had 40 hours, it still wouldn’t be enough because I could always think of new projects.)

In the end, I believe it is important to be happy with what you are doing, and I believe that quality will ultimately succeed. If I can create work I am proud of, that is awesome. If it resonates with other people, that is a great bonus. I am happy that people like to communicate with me and find my input helpful. And that for others, my art makes them happy.

I think you have a great answer to your question: make your creative journey a way of life! Of course, there will be ups and downs, as in life, but seeing your photography as a creative journey is way more fulfilling—even if you sometimes do not have enough time for it.

I wish you all the best for your creative journey. From one weekend warrior to another: keep shooting and enjoy, Joseph!

[michael2 (Michael Ruhdorfer)]

Once again big thanks for your detailed answer and all the helpful tips!

I totally agree with you that it’s mostly unrealistic to have the whole scenery tech-sharp. But also here it really depends on the subject and the intention behind the image. If I want to create something more abstract and also kinda “flat” to leave more room for creativity of the viewer, I often prefer to have everything sharp, so the viewer can’t really tell from the first glimpse if it’s 3D or 2D.
As you said, there is no rule and also no right or wrong. It’s all about creativity, personal taste and the story we want to tell.

Also in the end it really depends on the viewer as everyone sees things differently anyway..

By the way, are you still doing these 1:1 online sessions? My girlfriend gave me a “voucher” for Christmas last year.

No need to apologize! I really appreciate your time and your detailed answers, Kai!

[kai (Kai Hornung)]

Yes, @michael2 I agree

And sure, I am still offering 1:1 online sessions (https://kaihornung.com/online-training for everyone interested). Just email me at kai@kaihornung.com. I would love to discuss the topic with you in more detail.

[michael2 (Michael Ruhdorfer)]

Awesome, thank you so much!
I’ll let you know when I’m free to do so.

[Ronja (Ronja Linßen)]

Hi Kai,

so nice to see you here! Thank you for sharing your beautiful work and expertise with us. I will quickly sneak in one last minute question

How do you curate your work? Do you maybe have any suggestions regarding the curation of photos especially when it comes to website galleries or photo projects/series? I often find it quite hard to exclude images as I might have become too attached to them (and the experiences/memories connected to them). Also considerations like the order and presentation of the images or even the aspect ratio of the individual images in one set (e.g. is it okay to have varying aspect ratios in one set of images) can be quite difficult to figure out for me. It would be very interesting to hear how you go about curating your work.

By the way, that trick regarding the focus stack when photographing abstract scenes straight down (clockwise extra exposures) works wonders! I have been using this ever since you shared that with me on Lofoten and it saved many images of mine! Thank you for sharing this!

Kind regards and many thanks in advance,
Ronja

[John_Williams]

If I too can drop in an at the buzzer question?

In another thread, you said “I do not use Social Media as much as I used to in the past.” I’m curious how you share your photos these days if not through social media?

Thanks again for taking the time to do this, and for sharing your expertise in the critique forums!!

[kai (Kai Hornung)]

Hey @Ronja so great to see you here.

Thanks for your question and your kind words! I will never forget your enthusiasm during our Lofoten tour!

Curation is tricky. In know that some have friends or people they trust who help deciding because it is like you say it: with some images we have a stronger emotional connection than with others. And as much as I love emotional connections with ones work (and I believe it is truly necessary ), it sometimes blurs our evaluation of how strong an image visually is. It is for that reason that I leave most images lying for a while (often months or even years) before processing them. It helps me focusing on the visual impact. I know this approach is not for everyone. And of course there are also images where I simply enjoy the enthusiasm and curiosity of picking them up right after a tour. …but being busy and not having too much time to edit lots after a tour helps

If you put images together there are several factors that help:

• Subject
• Colors
• Structures
• feel

As you know I have a musical background being in bands for many years. And I love the concept of albums. I like it when the order of songs is not random but builds up and maybe even features interludes that function as a bridge from song to song. Similarly you can use images when presenting them.

I admire Sandra Bartocha for her curation. I recommend getting one of her books. At some pages she puts together images where one helps the other stand out stronger. Sometimes to a degree where I think “that one image would be weak for itself, but in connection makes the other one stand out even stronger” incredible!

You could try dipping your feet by starting with Dyptichons. See how two images compliment each other. Maybe even with one being 16:9 and the other one 4:5. If you have the chance print a few images and put them on the ground in front of you. Juggle the order and see what you like.

Btw, I like your homepage! A few days ago I had a look. You are on to something!!!

[kai (Kai Hornung)]

Hey @John_Williams , sure you can. I hope my answer goes through after the buzzer.

I try to focus on my homepage (www.kaihornung.com) to be independent of other platforms. As you can see on Instagram, if they decide that videos of yoga pants or cats are more important to share, then it is out of our hands.

But of course, simply uploading images on your own homepage is a bit like putting flowers up on your living room window. Only a few people will see it. So, yes, I occasionally still post on Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky looks good, and Flickr is also a platform I am active on every now and then.

Overall, it is trickier than it was five years ago to have your images seen online through other platforms. This is simply because most people seem to be a bit fatigued of what Social Media has become. I certainly feel that fatigue when scrolling through it.

With this being said, I think I need to have a closer look into NPN. This looks like a great community and is worth spending your time with.

Thanks for that question, John!

So to everyone who asked and read this: THANK YOU! This was fun.