Bodies of water

On this page: Bodies of water — Parents: Fotografische Themen › Landschaft — Photography, Technology & Science at the Tenckhoff Photo Archive.

Streams are charming photography subjects that convey both motion and tranquility. They meander through forests or meadows and invite close-up shots highlighting details like bubbling water or surrounding vegetation. Long exposures give them a soft, flowing effect.

Rivers offer versatile photographic opportunities, from wild rapids to tranquil stretches in urban or natural settings. Their flowlines create depth and dynamism in images. Reflections on the water surface can add exciting compositions.

Lakes embody calmness and vastness, making them ideal for landscape photography. Their smooth surfaces often reflect the sky or surrounding mountains, creating picturesque effects. Different lighting conditions, such as sunrise or sunset, enhance the visual impact.

The sea is a dramatic subject, conveying endless vastness and power. From calm bays to stormy waves, it offers great variety. Coastlines, ships, or fishing huts complement the scenery, while long exposures make the water appear soft and ethereal.

When the Atlantic Reaches for the Sun

In Nazaré, waves reach for the sun: roaring surf, spray and glowing sunsets create a spectacular, ever-changing dance of the Atlantic elements.

Nazaré – Where the Atlantic Begins to Speak

Nazaré unveils its power: towering Atlantic waves, dramatic light, and the cliffside Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo above one of the world’s most iconic surf sites.

Between Mist and Myth: The Magic of Niagara Falls

From roaring waters to roaring casinos – Niagara Falls seen through light, history, and quiet irony. A story of beauty, contrast, and spectacle.

Bone Beaches and Wrecked Skeletons

Evening light over Clayoquot Sound in Tofino

A nature experience on Vancouver Island’s west coast: driftwood beaches, eagles, lighthouses and a hidden shipwreck tell stories of the wild Pacific beauty.

Between Flames and Lichens – A Visit to the Bay of Fires

Bay of Fires near St. Helens in Tasmania

Description: Deserted beaches, glowing red granite and unspoiled nature – a travel story from Tasmania’s Bay of Fires, blending poetic impressions with geological facts.

Sun Moon Lake – Fireflies, Energy and Tranquil Beauty

Discover Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake: Historic landmarks, scenic trails, and the magical glow of thousands of fireflies during warm spring nights.

A Gloomy Day at Cap de Hourdel – Lighthouse, Sanderlings, and a Sunken Bunker

Cap de Hourdel: A mystical place in the Bay of Somme, featuring a historic lighthouse, a sunken bunker, and fascinating Sanderlings. Explore the rich history and wild nature of this unique coastal landscape.

Dunes and Beaches of Saint-Quentin-en-Tourmont

Explore the dunes of Saint-Quentin-en-Tourmont. This region offers pristine nature, a dynamic coastal landscape, and rich biodiversity. Ideal for nature enthusiasts and photographers.

Abel Tasman National Park: Golden Beaches and Fascinating Nature

The Split Apple Rock, a spectacular granite sphere split in half

Explore New Zealand’s Abel Tasman National Park with its golden beaches, the iconic Split Apple Rock, and unforgettable hikes through lush rainforests.

Rufous-Backed Hawks on Pebble Island: Elegance in the Skies

Discover the captivating Rufous-Backed Hawks on Pebble Island. Observing these majestic birds of prey in their natural habitat is an unforgettable highlight of the Falkland Islands.

The Wintery Rauschenbach Dam: Nature’s Beauty in Black and White

Discover the wintery charm of the Rauschenbach Dam and visit the Cämmerswalde Aircraft Museum, showcasing fascinating GDR aviation history. A must-see for nature and tech enthusiasts!

Giant Petrels on the Falkland Islands – Wildlife Photography on Sealion Island

Giant petrels on the Falkland Island Sealion Island

Wildlife Photography on Sealion Island: The Falkland Islands are a haven for birdwatchers, especially for photographing Giant Petrels in their natural habitat.

Northern Fulmars: Captivating Gliders of Europe’s Rugged Shores

Northern fulmars over the Outer Hebrides

Northern fulmars over rugged coasts: Explore their grace in the Hebrides, Faroes, Iceland, and Shetlands, and learn about the threats to their habitats.

Highlights in Geneva

CERN, the Mecca of theoretical physicists, but also highlights such as the point of confluence of the Rhone and the Arche attract visitors from all over the world to Geneva.

Hortillonages, the floating gardens of Amiens

Small boats take you leisurely through the canal jungle of Amiens' floating gardens, the Hortillonages. Or you can view them from a bicycle.

Reflection on the fjord in Aurdal

In the quiet fjord foothills near Aurdal in Norway, the fantastic reflection of the white clouds in the blue sky highlighted the motif, a red ship, particularly beautifully.

Northern lights over Ekkerøy at 70 degrees latitude

In Ekkerøy in the municipality of Vadsø, Norway at 70 degrees latitude, we were lucky and were able to admire the entire color spectrum of the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis last night.

The colorful houses of Mosjøen on the Vefsnfjord

The colorful houses of Mosjøen on the Vefsn River are particularly beautiful to see as the sun sets behind the Øyfjellet mountain to the west.

Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

Marsh Harrier with building materials in flight

The Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) is a bird of prey from the Accipitridae family. It breeds from central Mongolia to Portugal and from Scandinavia to North Africa.

Cinque Terre in Ligurian

In Liguria northwest of the city of La Spezia lies an impressive stretch of coast on the Italian Riviera that has become known as the "Cinque Terre".

The sea women of Jeju

The sea women (Haenyo) from the South Korean island of Jeju.

In a bay in front of the Seongsan Ilchulbong we discovered them, the sea women (Haenyo) of the South Korean island of Jeju, whose culture has been part of the Intangible World Heritage Site (UNESCO) since 2016.

The Saar loop

The Saar loop near Saarbrücken can be photographed particularly well from the observation tower of a treetop path.

The Dance of the Redshanks

The courtship behavior of the redshank is very versatile. Their "3D dances" are particularly impressive, in which they try to impress their partners with sometimes strange performances.

Aqueduct Pont du Gard in Okzitanian

The Pont du Gard reflected in the Gardon

The Pont du Gard, the impressive Roman aqueduct in southern France, reflected in the Gardon. Additional digital recordings from 2001 for comparison.

Long exposures in Andorra's mountains

Long exposures of some special parts of a stream in the mountains and valleys of Andorra

Long exposures on the Bay of Biscay

The coast of Barrika on the Bay of Biscay

On the Bay of Biscay in the Basque Country there are beautiful beaches but also wild coastal landscapes. On the Barrikaka beach near Barrika, the waves break on the various rock formations and, if the weather is suitable, the roaring spray can be photographically transformed into a fine mist.

Lighthouse at Sørklubben

At the furthest point of the Lyngen Alps, where the Barents Sea, Ullsfjord and Lyngenfjord meet, the Lyngstuva lighthouse on Sørklubben guards the shipping lanes. The scramble up to the lighthouse is rewarded with a fantastic view.

Mountain plateau Valdresflye

The wonderful scenic route across the Valdresflye plateau is one of the 18 Norwegian Tourist Routes, which are maintained by the Norwegian State Roads Administration especially for tourism because of their picturesque landscape. There are parking and rest areas along the route and there are also vantage points at particularly impressive points.

The harbor ghost of Kristiansand

When night falls, at the harbor in Kristiansand

Street art in Kristiansand: When it gets dark at the harbor, you probably shouldn't go through this narrow passage.

Hydroelectric power in Rjukan

Vermork - hydroelectric power station in Rjukan, Norway

In Rjukan, everything revolves around electricity, just as we like it :-) The Vemork hydroelectric power station, built in 1911, was the largest in the world at the time and right in town you can see the Såheim hydroelectric power station today.

The Gaustabanen take you up the 1,900 meter high Gaustatoppen. We are lucky, the railways and access have just started seasonal operation and our summit ascent leads first over serpentines to 1170 m, then with railway 1 horizontally 850 meters into the mountain and from there with a funicular at 39° 1050 m wide and 850 meters high.

Narvik, the port city between mountains and fjords

Small roads lead from the Lyngenfjord to Narvik, the Norwegian port city between mountains and fjords.

The midnight sun in Norway at the 70th degree of latitude

The midnight sun over the island of Reinøya in the Ullsfjord in Norway

The midnight sun at the 70th parallel on the western side of the Lyngen Alps at Sør-Lenangen lighthouse is a spectacular event.

On Lake Inarijärvi in Finland

Finland is known for its many lakes and the extraordinary nature of this landscape becomes apparent on long drives through this wild landscape.

Lake Norvajärvi in the Arctic Circle in Finland

Lake Norvajärvi at the Arctic Circle in Finland

Lake Norvajärvi is located in the Arctic Circle in Finland. The lake offers spectacular views in the changing light conditions of May.

The Swedish Tiveden National Park near the lake Unden

Sunset at Unden lake near Gårdsjö (Örebro)

Hamgården Nature Resort is located right by Lake Unden near Gårdsjö (Örebro). 10 km from Sweden's Tiveden National Park.

Mauritius in the Indian Ocean

The main island of the island state of Mauritius of the same name is considered one of the dream islands in the Indian Ocean. Together with Reunion, the neighboring French island, it belongs to the Mascarene Islands. The island is of volcanic origin and is located on the "African Plate". Lush flora and species-rich fauna invite you to extensive exploration tours and the turquoise-blue lagoons on the coast offer many opportunities for water sports.

Sunrise Solenagen fjord

At the turn of the year, sunrise at Fjord Solenagen means that it will be a little brighter for around two hours.

The cormorant fishermen on the Li River

The karst landscapes on the Li River near Guilin

Guilin is located in southeast China on the banks of the Li River (Li Jiang). The name Guilin can be translated as "city of the smelled flower forest".

The Venice Lagoon and its islands

Our trip to Venice in 1988 resulted in so many photo opportunities that the number of films we took with us was barely enough.

Cape Horn in Tierra del Fuego

If you cross the Strait of Magellan from Punta Arenas, you will reach Tierra del Fuego, which was so named by Captain Magellan in 1520.

Action on the Swan Lake

The ponds around Herrnstein Castle near Ruppichteroth in the Rhein-Sieg district always offer opportunities for beautiful animal photos.

Wai-O-Tapu Wonderland

The landscapes and diverse cultures of New Zealand exceed even high expectations.

Common redshank in Lofoten

The redshank is one of the snipe birds (Scolopacidae) in the order plover-like (Charadriiformes) and lives on coasts and waters

White-tailed eagles over the Trollfjord

White-tailed eagles are among the largest birds of prey in Europe and can hardly be confused either in flight, on the ground or in trees.

Common merganser

We photographed Common merganser (Mergus merganser) on the Lofoton in Norway with the Nikon D300 and recently on the Danish island of Bornholm with the Nikon Z9.

Milford Sound World Heritage Site

Milford Sound is a fjord on New Zealand's South Island. It belongs to the Fiordland National Park, which is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Fish eagle in South Africa

Majestic fish eagle in St Lucia in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal province.

The Moeraki Boulders at Koekohe Beach

Moeraki Boulders are a large number of spherical rocks on Koekohe Beach on the South Island of New Zealand near Moeraki.

The Gullfoss in Iceland

As soon as the river Hvítá in the Haukadalur falls over two cascades into the depths, it makes its way through mighty gorges.

Husum - picturesque town in Friesland

Today the picturesque town of Husum attracts tourists and the regular crab market invites you to "pound crabs" at the harbor.

Lithuania, the Curonian Spit

I particularly liked the Curonian Spit on our Baltic trip. On the Baltic Sea side, these endless beaches, without any buildings.

Long exposure on the Rio Nava

Inflow to Rio Nava - 30 seconds at f / 7.1

The Rio Nava flows through the pilgrimage site Santuario de Nossa Senhora da Abadia.

Long exposure at the "Ponte do Nava"

An impressive way of the cross leads to the pilgrimage site of Santuario de Nossa Senhora da Abadia.

Long exposure in the Breitach gorge

After the glacier melted at the end of the Würm Ice Age, the Breitach cut about 150 meters deep into the rock over the past 10,000 years.

Skagen Fyr where the Baltic and North Seas meet

At the northernmost tip of Denmark, where the Baltic and North Seas meet, the Skagen Fyr, Skagen's lighthouse, secures shipping.

The beautiful valley of the Hanfcreek

The Hanfbach rises in Rhineland-Palatinate initially as Irmerother Bach about 270 m above sea level. NHM and gets its name in Buchholz-Mendt.

Sunsets in Murreagh, Dingle

Sunset over the Atlantic off Ireland's coast

The overnight stay in Murreagh, Ireland was perfect for photographing the setting of the sun in the Atlantic.

Kitesurfing on the waves of Barra

The flat wide sandy coast of Barra is ideal for kitesurfing and in good weather conditions you can see the surfers fly over the waves.

Cool photo spots at the "blue hour"

Photospot in Hamburg: "Castle in the warehouse district" in the blue hour

Cool photo spots in Hamburg e.g. the Hamburg Landungsbrücken, the Elbphilharmonie, the little castle in the Speicherstadt etc.

Blue hour in the port of Zadar

Zadar in Croatia has a very beautiful old town, but it is worth leaving the narrow streets to take pictures of the port facilities at the blue hour.

Whooper swans in Hokkaido and Iceland

Whooper swans on Lake Kussharo in Hokkaido

We were able to photograph whooper swans, whose calls are reminiscent of trumpets, mainly on Iceland and Hokkaido in Japan

Color-Key picture of the Shinkyo Bridge

Shinkyo Bridge of the Futarasan Shrine in Nikko

The impressive Shinkyo Bridge of the Futarasan Shrine in Nikkō, Japan, is well suited due to its color to be displayed as a Color-Key picture.

Infrared bathing area in summer on the Rhine in Mainz.

Are people actually sitting here in swimwear on a snow-covered meadow on the Rhine? Infrared images are amazing! Bathing area in summer on the Rhine in Mainz in infrared

Color-Key pictures of a "Red boat"

It is windless and the surface of the Loch Linnhe at Fort William in Scotland is very calm - no wave sways the red boat.

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