michael

poliza
Hamburg-based photographer Michael Poliza photographs natural vistas in the
most spectacular way. His precise, graphic style combined with a superb eye
for a story has launched him into the highest echelon of wildlife photography
words matt henry
All photos © michael poliza, www.michaelpoliza.com
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“The lesson I learned was that if

you enjoy something, you tend to
become good at it and the
recognition and money follows”

T
top: Sunny days here’s a word for people like Michael “After I was done with the acting I went to the States as and money follows. Money has never been the driving marine vessel to circumnavigate the globe in just under opening spread:
are quite rare at the Poliza in his native Germany: Wunderkind. an exchange student and got into the whole computing force behind what I do. But eventually I went into a bit of a three years, visiting 50 countries and some of the world’s As there are only
Antarctic Peninsula about 25,000 polar
and this beautifully It means ‘wonder child’, and it's often used to thing,” Michael begins. “It was very early on, before the PC mid-life crisis, having all this money but nothing to do with most inhospitable places along the way (many of them not bears left in the
carved iceberg describe someone who achieves something even. I got hooked on it for a while – computers, gadgets my day. So, I ended up starting a cinema company called reachable by plane). He was accompanied by a collection wild, their future
provides a dramatic looks more
eye-catcher. remarkable at a relatively early age, especially in and all that. After three years I came back to Germany for CinemaxX and then eventually started another computer- of esteemed photographers and film makers, all sharing uncertain than ever.
business. Michael was a child actor until aged 16, considered an IBM student work programme. Once that ended, I was based business, which I sold at aged 38, some 12 years ago. Michael’s passion for adventure and exploration and his The southernmost
above: A magical populations along
early morning in an I.T. genius by age 18, had a staff of 120 by the time he was told there were a few clients that wanted to meet me. One of At this point I really started to think hard about what was over-arching goal of documenting the state of the planet at
the Hudson Bay are
'iceberg alley' at 22 years old and sold his first company at the tender age of them was the big record company Polydor. I was about 18 important for me. I realised that just because I might be the turn of the century. the most affected
the Antarctic 26. But it's only 25 years on that he thinks he's finally found years old making the equivalent in pounds of about £2.50 good at something, it doesn’t mean it makes me happy. The expedition was entitled the Starship Millennium by climate change.
Peninsula, famous
for large tabular his true vocation, producing wildlife photographic books. an hour. I told them I was happy to come and work for them, What made me happy was being out in fantastic wilderness Voyage and though the Starship has long since docked, above: An adult
icebergs that drift The kind that the New York Times insists “…might change but I wanted more money. They said come meet us and let areas, and seeing the beauty that the planet has to offer.” the daily journals still survive online as testament to the king penguin tries
in from the to locate its chick
Weddell Sea. the way you think about photography.” But in between is an us know what sort of figure you’re expecting. So I went in Where most of us might use this revelatory moment incredible experiences of the crew, both in written and by recognising its
enthralling story that includes a cinema company, a second and said £20 per hour. Bear in mind this is 1979 – that was to do a bit of volunteer work in the local country park, or picture form. Michael used the trip to rediscover his passion call, even among
I.T. business, an ocean liner, a long-distance helicopter big, big money. And the guy I met said that he didn’t think perhaps even venture to Africa on an organised safari, for photography that he’d first developed as a proud owner 50,000 chicks that
are raised each
journey, a trip to the Antarctic and of course U.S. actor that was fair, I should get £30 per hour. So that was that. Michael Poliza had an altogether more ambitious plan. of a Canon A-1 at the age of 16. At this point Michael had no year in this colony
Gene Hackman. If Hollywood hasn’t already considered a “The lesson I learned was that if you enjoy something, Michael’s sabbatical, sponsored by the likes of Microsoft, real ambitions to be a professional photographer and when at Salisbury Plains,
Poliza biopic, now might be the time to try. you tend to become quite good at it and the recognition Olympus and Sony, comprised purchasing a 75-foot the voyage came to a close, he spent some time cruising South Georgia.

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biography
As a child actor
from the ages of
12 and 16, Michael
appeared in over
70 feature films,
shows and
television series.
He was on the
cover of German
newspapers and
received baskets
of fan mail from
love-struck fans!
He ended his brief
acting career by
going to the
United States as
an exchange
student, spending
time in Dallas,
Texas, and
Oklahoma and
discovering an
interest in
computer
“Between 2002 and 2004 I spent technology. After
steady paid
around six months of each year as employment, he
joint-founded the
part of the bush community and Polisoft computer
firm as a capital
had an absolute blast of a time” venture, and sold
it age 27 to a
Swiss corporation.
He invested in the
film industry by
founding
CinemaxX before
bowing out three
years later to set
up his third and
final venture.
Aged 32, and
recently split from
his long-term
girlfriend, Poliza
embarked on the
third phase of his
life, travelling,
trekking and
diving when he
could before
eventually selling
his company age
38 to embark on
the Starship
Millennium
Voyage. The rest
is photographic
history!

with good friend, and US actor, Gene Hackman, to whom
he eventually sold the Starship.
“We’d been cruising around the Bahamas, and came
to the West Coast, but I wasn’t quite sure what to do with
myself. I certainly didn’t feel like going back to working
behind a desk, so I decided to head to Cape Town, have a
wander around and consider buying a house there. I started
to meet a few people in the safari industry and got invited to
Botswana and Namibia and really started to rediscover my
love for photography.
"The Starship Project was born out of a desire to get away
and visit the amazing places that I wanted to see. It wasn’t
really about the photography, but I did love taking pictures
when I was out there and came back with lots of images,
though I still didn’t classify myself as a photographer.
Anyway, I became engrossed in the African safari and
decided that it made sense to twin this love with my love
of photography and try to go out there and get some great people saying a lot of good things about his work, but he ABOVE: These
pictures – something a little different from everyone else. hadn't really explored the idea of making money from it. elephants are
captured at sunset
“I was an early adopter of digital technology, so I always But with the popularity of his images growing, it seemed at a waterhole in
knew what I was getting thanks to the immediacy of the LCD the next logical move was to try and produce a coffee table Savuti Cap in
Botswana's
monitor. And I had no pressure on me. I wasn’t well known. book. “I wanted to do big images that spoke a language of Linyanti Reserve.
I was just that 'pushy' German who wanted to spend time in their own,” claims Michael. “I didn’t want to do a natural
OPPOSITE PAGE
the bush taking photographs. I met some cool people who history book. When I pitched the idea to some of the FROM TOP:
had lodges and camps and they were all so welcoming. publishers in the industry they were wary of going big – too The long necks of
They invited me to stay whenever I wanted to, as long as expensive and not enough return they said. I came across these three giraffes
provide a strong
I left them with a few images for marketing. So between the TeNeues publishing house and got in touch with the visual appeal.
2002 and 2004 I spent around six months of each year CEO, who I’d had some dealings with many years before. A Crowned Crane is
captured beautifully
as part of the bush community and had an absolute blast He had no experience of wildlife photography, but said he while in flight.
of a time. This has been my driving force: being in these loved the idea and made it clear he wanted to do the book. This Rhino was on
fantastic places with great local people and just having a So he flew to New York and spoke to some people who were the shore of Lake
Kariba, Zimbabwe.
great time while taking pictures.” excited about it – my first photographic book was born, 180
But, in 2005, Michael looked at his bank balance and images all on Africa. We got great feedback from around
realised it needed a bit of attention. He was getting a lot of the world and the book sold successfully in 74 countries.

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 oliza on
p
technique
“I shoot in
Program mode
95 percent of the
time. My camera’s
very smart so I
tend to let it make
the decisions
about exposure
and focus,
giving me time
to concentrate
on composition
and, of course,
capturing the
moment. This
is far more
important to me
than trying to
beat the camera
on exposure or
focusing. Some
people ask why
I bother to learn
photography if
I’m just going
to use Program
mode, but I
have a different
approach. The
biggest change
for me in the
technical sphere
was the arrival of
Adobe Lightroom.
It has changed
my photography
dramatically.
Before I was
reluctant to shoot
Raw because the
processing took
so much time.
Now shooting
Raw is a blast.
I used to spend
hours browsing
images and
spotting them for
dust. Lightroom
makes it so much
easier. I also do
my keywording
at the same time
and make a few “I do believe in luck, but what
adjustments here
and there. I’ve I’m good at is anticipation. I
spotted the new
Graduate feature
see something might happen
and it's very
tempting indeed!”
and then I’m ready for it”
v “My work is not just documentary, there’s something else Above left: This extra two to three stops and mean I can shoot up to 15
Michael Poliza Michael Poliza's books, published by teNeues (www.teneues.com), are best-sellers around the world and
are available from all leading high street and online bookstores. Below is a small selection of his books but
going on. If you look at the work of underwater photographer giraffe is drinking
at the Zibalianja
minutes longer at my favourite times of day: early morning
The Books for more information on all his books and to view more of his images, visit: www.michaelpoliza.com
David Doubilet, it has that special something extra that I try
to emulate. It speaks to you on more of an artistic level.
Lagoon in the
Linyanti Reserve in
and late afternoon. Getting sharp images is very important
to me, which is why I shoot at high ISOs. Three to four
Botswana. The
Personally, I’m always looking for graphical elements. symmetry of its legs years ago when I was doing the Africa book people asked
Antarctic Eyes Over Africa Africa
I’ll maybe see three giraffes in a line, three antelopes is key to the success why I shot at ISO 640, or even ISO 1000, and I’d explain
ISBN: 9783832793173 ISBN: 9783832792091 ISBN: 9783832791278 of the composition.
and then three warthogs too, with a clean background. that it’s always more important to me to freeze the action
Poliza ventures to Poliza's helicopter Michael Poliza You can’t produce this, only catch the moment. I always say RIGHT from top: than worry about a bit of grain. Thankfully, this generation
the polar regions and journey takes him provides a unique A wildebeest tries
leads us through the over 17 countries viewpoint of the that I’m looking for these special moments when nature is to struggle free of digital SLRs are so much better at high ISO ratings that
magical worlds of and thousands of African ecosystem painting. My work is very much about these moments. It’s from the strong there is a barely discernable trade off in image quality.
these frozen miles as he flies and captures its clutches of a lion.
paradises most from Hamburg to landscape and a combination of composition, colour and finding that little “I don’t care about the rules,” Michael continues.
The ivory tusk
threatened by global Cape Town. His wildlife with extra something that makes things more memorable, such dominates the frame “Apparently, if you photograph the lion king you have to
warming. The book birds-eye view sensitivity and skill. as the giraffe spreading its legs drinking; it is very geometric, of this beautiful show his eyes. Why? An image without could be just as
features beautiful reveals the beauty, The book is a real close crop of an
images of wildlife, diversity and treat in particular almost symmetrical and always has positive reviews. African elephant. good. I do believe in luck and opportunity though, but
including many scale of the African for fans of wildlife “I shoot mostly on either a 24-70mm f/2.8L or a Cheetah cubs in what I’m good at is anticipation. I see something might
endangered species. landscape. photography. Mombo, Okavango
70-200mm f/2.8L with my Canon EOS-1Ds MkII. I use Delta, in Botswana.
happen and then I’m ready for it. I’m also always trying to
Canon because of the stabilised lenses, which buy me an capture patterns, paintings of nature, the rhythms of life.”

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“Stern, Germany’s largest news weekly,
did a story on the helicopter trip over 35
pages; by far the largest picture spread
they had published for 25 years”
Michael’s next major adventure came following a trip to
the Seychelles. A helicopter pilot had read a book about
the Starship Millennium Voyage and had a dream to fly
his helicopter from Europe to Africa, and figured after the
Starship expedition that Michael Poliza might be just the
man to help him do the job.
“He had two questions,” continues Michael. “Was it do-able
and did I want to do it with him? I didn’t have to think much
about either question. It took some planning, but eventually
we left for an eight-week expedition journeying from Hamburg
to Cape Town. We didn’t spend much time in Europe, only
about five days. The rest of the trip was spent zig-zagging
through Africa on an easterly route. It was obviously great
michaelpoliza
fun and I felt enormously privileged to have the chance to do the arrival of football's World Cup, and this time he plans to ABOVE:
Elephants in
it.” The helicopter images ended up in book called Eyes over widen his subject area to include the people of South Africa, Amboseli National
Africa, another 180 images but this time it was more about the townships and some architectural work to boot. Park, Kenya.
the patterns and structures gleaned from an aerial view. Also in the wings, is a kids’ version of the Antarctic book OPPOSITE PAGE
Stern magazine, Germany’s largest news weekly, did a story following parental feedback that revealed a much younger FROM TOP:
on the helicopter trip over 35 pages; by far the largest picture fan base. Then there is the three-month photographic tour A concentration of
hippos in Katavi
spread that they had published for some 25 years." of Australia. Not quite time for the Hollywood biopic just yet National Park,
Following the helicopter trip came a three-month then – there’s clearly a fair few more Poliza-style adventures Tanzania.
A fisherman in the
expedition to the Antarctic, which culminated in another before this German’s work is done. In the meantime, you clear waters south of
six-kilogram coffee-table beast to match Africa and, could do worse than check out his back catalogue by Vamizi Island,
Mozambique.
predictably, the intrepid Poliza has already sunk his teeth investing in either Africa or Antarctica. This writer, who has Gemsbok roam the
into a brand new project. He’s about to head to South Africa seen more than his fair share of photographic books, can northern Skeleton
for the next three months to document the country prior to guarantee that it’ll be the best £50 you have ever spent. n Coast of Namibia.
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