Looking back at 2021: It can always get better!
- Adrian Wirz
- Dec 20
- 6 min read
This year I'm doing a year in review as a blog post, not with my usual photo gallery. It won't be a top 12 gallery or anything like that. On the other hand, the whole top 2596 thing is getting a bit stale.
In January, it snowed in the Basel region too, not just a dusting, but a thick blanket of snow. Early one morning in early January, I was at Ebenrain Castle in Sissach. A plowed track leads directly to the entrance gate of this beautiful castle in the Basel region.
I've often wondered: which looks better, with the path plowed or without? The latter is difficult to achieve, though, as it's a well-trodden avenue and I want to minimize footprints. No, I'm very happy with this photo. I illuminated the foreground with a flashlight. The pear tree near Rünenberg is a worthwhile subject, even in winter!
Although I have somewhat mixed memories of this photo—on the way home, another driver slid into the back of my car—I still love the atmosphere that prevailed there at the time. Heavy snowfall, a profound silence, and not another photographer in sight. Of course, this photo also exists with a shorter exposure time. In mid-January, I was out and about in the Bernese Oberland early one morning. My destination was this church. It had snowed freshly, and this church is simply beautiful. I've been here several times before, but I've never found it so deeply covered in snow. It can always be better! There are always different views of this church; I liked this one from the very beginning. This church is so beautiful that it needs no further "ingredients."
At the end of February, I traveled in this region again. My destination was Thun Castle under a full moon with the Niesen mountain in the background.
That was the end of winter for me, and I was looking forward to spring with blooming crocus meadows and gleaming white cherry trees. In the meantime, I spent a lot of time mountain biking in the Basel region, through snow, slush, and plenty of mud! This completely satisfied my need for fresh air, exercise, and nature. At the beginning of April, the time had finally come: the first crocus meadows glowed white and violet. A magnificent sight. This time, however, I wasn't drawn to the now completely overcrowded alpine pasture in the Emmental, but back to the Bernese Oberland.
After that, I felt great anticipation for the coming spring and especially for the "Baselbieter Blütenzauber" (Basel-Landschaft Blossom Magic). But things turned out very differently. While I managed to get some "money shots" at the beginning of the cherry blossom season, a few days later the frost arrived and ruined everything. A sad sight. The photography workshop was also rained out, and as if that weren't enough, summer itself was a washout. After the cancellation of the photography workshop and the subsequent events, I was completely fed up. For me, the most beautiful church in the upper Basel-Landschaft region is in Kilchberg; others might say the most beautiful church is in Oltingen. Unfortunately, it's difficult to integrate into the landscape because it's situated in a hollow. This church is completely different. On this spring morning, there was thick fog, and I happened to be driving on the road towards Kilchberg. Luckily, I also had my 150-500mm lens with me, and that's how the following shot came about. Bold and abstract—I like photos like that, too.
On my bike rides, I often passed old and dead cherry trees. The song "Gipsy Joe" by Polo Hofer kept running through my head. I thought it went well with the following abstract photo.
Due to the heavy rain in early spring, the entire landscape in the Basel region was lush and green, unlike in previous years. I took advantage of this and focused more on wildlife photography. This allowed me to take some beautiful photos, such as this roebuck near Eptingen.
Unlike landscape photography, you have very little time for these kinds of shots; everything has to be perfect within seconds. And that was it for summer 2021, so I was all the more excited for autumn, which turned out to be absolutely golden! My last workshop in the Engadine was in mid-October, and I was really looking forward to it. Even though the changing colors of the needles weren't yet at their peak in some parts of the Engadine, they were still wonderful days. I enjoyed every single day, even knowing it was my last workshop.
There are thousands of photos of this footbridge; I've been there many times myself. But there's only one version that truly convinces me: this one. If the sun is too high and illuminates the larch forest too closely, it creates unsightly shadows, and the overall picture no longer works for me. Finally, here are two more photos, leaving it up to the viewer to decide which is the better, or rather, more beautiful.
But I fondly recall how these two photos came about. I've already done that in another blog post: Golden Autumn 2021
The idea for this panorama came to me during a conversation with a client, so the very next day I hopped back on my e-mountain bike and took this photo, much to the client's satisfaction. Of course, the Emmental region simply had to be included in my retrospective. I had almost perfect conditions that morning. Unfortunately, on the way there, an oncoming driver ran over a deer in the fog; it was lying in the middle of the road. I moved the animal off the road and returned to the driver. He was more concerned with his damaged car first... I then pointed out that he had to contact the police immediately. Once again, my cautious driving style in poor visibility was validated. I hope that more drivers will adopt this approach in the future.
I experienced many beautiful moments in nature in 2021. Of course, there were also less pleasant ones in my personal life. What troubled me for a long time was the broken promise of two former Lightexplorers team members and the subsequent devastation of the website. Somehow, this incident reminds me of the agreement, or rather the written non-aggression pact, between two dictators in World War II. I had, or rather still have, it in writing, but it was broken nonetheless. Although the comparison is somewhat flawed; it wasn't dictators at work, but rather the often-cited and considerate nature photographers, but all the more egregious for it. But for me, the principle remains: whoever has my word can rely on it 100% and doesn't need a contract. This approach has served me well so far, and I intend to continue it. However, I think it's good, and also about time, to point out that in this outwardly pristine world of photography, not everything is always "peace, joy, and happiness." In November, there was this shitstorm regarding the sale of advertising spots. I'll repeat myself: these aren't just spot sales; these are online workshops with tips on proper camera settings and image composition. Here's a short excerpt from one of our online workshops:
This is information you usually only get upon request at an in-person workshop. Perhaps because space is limited or for other reasons. With our online workshops, you always have everything on your phone, provided you have a signal. Sure, it's a shame there was this uproar, but it was to be expected! Some photographers lost friends, new ones joined, as is often the case in life! I can live with that! That was my review... times have passed, let's look forward to a more peaceful 2022, and I'm now hopping on my e-mountain bike to enjoy New Year's Day in the fresh air in my home region of Basel-Landschaft! With that in mind, I wish all readers a happy new year and always "good light"!
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