Sempiternal

’Sempiternal’ is a documentary series about the rugged peaks of the Dolomites and a study of light & darkness. It tells the story of eternity in form of an interplay between bright & obscure hues that have always been there. And always will be. Since the beginning of everything. A sempiternal phenomenon. 

During this photographic project I explored & studied this wide spectrum of light & noticed how small changes of light fundamentally transform the appearance of the mountainscapes I was witnessing. From bright white heaven-like sceneries to dark frightening mountainous structures. Different appearances. Evoking different emotional responses in me. Creating a beautiful tension through an immense luminous contrast.

While hiking through various different locations of the Dolomites during the creation of this series in July/August, I was in sheer awe by the changeability of these landscapes. It felt like wandering on the verge of two different worlds within one bigger system. Among the horizon of these two worlds the sharp, rugged & bold peaks of the Italian alps. Giants so bright & soft, yet so dark & scary.

With the help of extreme focal lengths (mostly around 300 – 400mm) I wanted to get really close to the structures of the mountains. I wanted to create an intimate feeling. I wanted the viewer to feel very closely how the light is shaping the scenery of the moment he is looking at. I wanted to create a portrait of an ambivalent eternal interplay between heaven & inferno.

Between White & Black. Between Light & Darkness. Between The Beginning & The End. Between Alpha & Omega.

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Dolomites, Italy / 2020

Photography / Design / Art Direction by Roland Kraemer

Find this series on Behance