ORIGIN & PATH INTO PHOTOGRAPHY

You taught yourself photography. What pulled you toward astrophotography specifically, and was there a moment that pushed you to write a full book about it?

My journey began about seven or eight years ago in a very simple way—holding a Huawei P30 smartphone in my hand. I just started taking pictures without thinking too much about it. The fascination with astrophotography grew from a desire to make visible what the human eye simply cannot see in the dark. The final push to write an actual book came after a long period of learning and understanding. I wanted to bundle my gathered knowledge and explain it exactly the way I wished it had been explained to me when I started out with absolutely zero prior knowledge.

You say friends and workshop participants kept asking if expensive gear was your secret. At what point did that question become the reason to write Principium?

When people saw my images and asked how I achieved those results, my answer was often: "With my smartphone" or later with an absolute entry-level camera, the Sony a6000. Right then, I realized how massive the misconception in the photography world is that you need to invest thousands of dollars. I wanted to prove with the book that the key to breathtaking photos does not lie in an expensive camera body, but in understanding the underlying physics of light. Principium was written to show that you can achieve maximum quality with a minimal budget—even in demanding astrophotography.

PRINCIPIUM

The title means "beginning", why was that the right word, and who did you picture reading it as you wrote?

Principium translates to the beginning, the origin, or the principle. It was the perfect name because the book starts exactly at the root: the fundamental principles of real photography. While writing, I pictured the absolute beginner. Someone standing exactly where I stood eight years ago—fascinated by images but completely overwhelmed by terms like ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. I wanted to create a book that removes these barriers entirely.

Every chapter pairs your photos with the actual camera used to take them. Why was that detail non-negotiable for you?

For me, it was a matter of transparency and credibility. If I tell the reader that you don't need high-end equipment, I have to prove it. By disclosing the exact metadata—the camera, the lens, the shutter speed, and the ISO value—for every single photo, the reader sees it in black and white: this epic landscape or astro photo was captured with an affordable entry-level camera. It removes the intimidation factor and motivates them to just try it themselves.

You write that "the most important tool you will ever use is not your camera, but your way of seeing." In practice, what should a beginner actually be looking at differently after reading that?

A beginner today often relies blindly on the automatic mode. They should learn to read the light instead of just clicking a subject. After reading, you understand how light hits the sensor and how to purposefully use the three core pillars—ISO, aperture, and shutter speed—to intentionally control a mood rather than leaving it to chance.

Chapter 6, "Light Off, Night On," shifts from technique into light pollution. Why did that subject belong inside a beginner's photography book rather than separate content?

Because we can no longer separate the night sky from what humanity is doing to it. Anyone who wants to learn astrophotography will inevitably face the problem of light pollution. To make the entry as seamless as possible, I also integrated tools like Janes Astronomical Visibility Model. The best theoretical knowledge is useless if you don't know when, where, and at what time the Milky Way is actually visible and how to escape artificial light. That is an inseparable part of the fundamentals for me.

LIGHT POLLUTION & PATEN DER NACHT

How did your work with Paten der Nacht in Austria start, and how has it changed the way you personally shoot the night sky?

The collaboration grew from a deep desire to not just use the night sky as a beautiful backdrop, but to actively protect it. It has changed my own approach in that I operate much more consciously and respectfully in the dark today. I use my reach as a photographer to raise awareness about the immense value of natural nightscapes and the preservation of dark skies.

If a reader has never thought about light pollution before, what's the one shift in Principium you hope actually changes how they shoot or just look at the sky?

I hope that readers sharpen their awareness for the fragility of darkness. Once you truly comprehend what a privilege a real, star-filled night sky without artificial light pollution is, you look up differently. When shooting, it leads you to select locations much more carefully and learn how to use the physics of light to capture the best possible images despite existing challenges

If someone only has a smartphone, where in the book should they start?

They can read the book right from the beginning. It was highly important to me to clearly demonstrate the difference between computer-driven smartphone photography and a traditional camera. Smartphones take care of almost everything for us today, but because of that, you never learn how photography actually works physically. Readers using a smartphone can specifically apply my insights to finally understand the manual "Pro Mode" settings on their phones, allowing them to capture significantly better, more deliberate photos.

What's the single mistake you see beginners make most often in landscape or astro work, the one Principium was written specifically to fix?

The single biggest mistake is blindly trusting the automatic mode and lacking a clear understanding of how ISO, aperture, and exposure time interact. Many assume a blurry or noisy image is due to a "bad" camera. Principium was written specifically to debunk this myth and hand full creative control back to the photographer.

You're also an ambassador for Noatanga. What made that platform's mission style-based discovery, SEO-driven visibility resonate with you as a working photographer?

It all started when I posted images of Paris, like Notre-Dame, on Instagram and received a message from Noatanga. What fascinated me immediately was the incredible humanity of the team and how much hard work and heart they pour into this platform. It was the very first time I felt genuinely excited about a collaboration on Instagram. The style-based discovery and SEO visibility are revolutionary for us artists because they prioritize quality over algorithmic games.

Between teaching, advocacy, and your own shooting, how do you think about visibility now for your work and for the causes you care about, like dark skies?

As an ambassador, I want to return that exact appreciation to Noatanga. I intend to leverage my reach, my videos, and my images to show people how brilliantly this platform works and the immense potential it holds for the future. Today, visibility means delivering real value whether it is for a platform that represents artists fairly, or for protecting our night skies.

What's next: another book, more advocacy, or both?

Definitely both! The journey has only just begun. With the foundation of Principium established, I am already working on new projects to convey photographic knowledge even more deeply and accessibly, while advocacy for preserving our dark nights remains a lifelong passion project.

Principium - Available here