Chris Schwaiger in the field — Austrian wildlife photographer with camera gear in natural habitat Chris Schwaiger on location in the Austrian Alps — preparing for a wildlife photography expedition at dawn

I am a wildlife photographer based in the Hohe Tauern region of Austria. My work takes me worldwide — from the mountains and forests of the Alps to remote wilderness areas across multiple continents. The animals I photograph are the ones most people never see up close: European bison moving through ancient woodland, golden eagles riding thermals above the treeline, red deer at first light, chamois on vertical rock faces, and large predators in their natural habitat.

I am entirely self-taught. What I know comes from decades of time spent in the field — watching, waiting, learning the rhythms of the animals and the landscapes they inhabit. I do not work in hides or from vehicles when I can avoid it. I prefer to be on foot, at the animal's level, moving slowly and deliberately through their world.

My approach is built on patience. I plan multi-week field expeditions, returning to the same locations season after season, year after year. I learn migration routes, feeding patterns, territorial boundaries. Some images take days to make. Others take weeks. A few have taken years — returning to the same ridge, the same forest clearing, the same waterhole, waiting for the light and the moment to converge.

I never bait, never use playback calls, and never artificially stage a scene. The animal's behaviour is never compromised for the sake of an image. If the shot does not happen on the animal's terms, it does not happen. This is non-negotiable.

Light is central to everything I do. I chase the golden hours — the first minutes after sunrise, the last before dark — and the quiet, diffused light of overcast days that reveals texture and detail the way direct sun never can. Understanding natural light is as important to my work as understanding the animals themselves.

The images in this portfolio represent years of fieldwork across multiple countries and continents. They are not snapshots. Each one carries the weight of the time, the conditions, and the discipline required to be in the right place, at the right moment, with the right light — and the restraint to let the animal tell its own story.

I am available for editorial commissions, fine art print sales, exhibitions, conservation photography projects, and brand partnerships. If you have a project in mind, I would be glad to hear from you.

chris.schwaiger@hotmail.com

Five Principles

These are the rules I work by. They are not guidelines — they are commitments. Every image in this portfolio was made within these boundaries.

01 Patience over pursuit Every image is earned through time. Days, sometimes weeks, waiting for a single frame.
02 Light before everything Natural light shapes everything. I chase the golden hours and the quiet in-between.
03 Never bait, never call No lures, no playback, no artificial staging. The animal's behaviour is never compromised.
04 Eye level I work at the animal's height. It changes the perspective — and the relationship.
05 Fieldcraft over equipment Knowledge of habitat and behaviour matters more than any lens.
10+
Years in the Field
2
Continents
50+
Species Documented
5
Countries

Commissions & Enquiries

Available for editorial commissions, conservation photography projects, brand partnerships, fine art prints, and exhibitions. Based in Austria, working internationally.

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