I, Axel Schmidt, was born in Braunschweig in the early seventies.
My professional journey started in science, which culminated in joining the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research's Antarctic Land Expedition ANTXVI/2.
This background informs my focus and photographic work. My passions have always centred around explorations in nature, science, and technology.
Starting my 22-year career as a photojournalist, I traveled extensively across 70 countries to cover a broad range of topics. These include the construction of the Orion space capsule, the launch of the Envisat satellite, the consequences of climate change on the Greenland ice sheet, as well as conflicts such as the war in Afghanistan, the 2011 Egyptian revolution, and the Darfur War.
Later on, I found myself increasingly attracted to commercial photography, which afforded me unique perspectives. I am intrigued by the infrastructure that underpins society's wealth, much of which remains unseen. For example, project documentation on the grid connection of offshore wind farms under the leadership of TenneT and Siemens Energy, or the construction of medical imaging systems by Siemens Healthineers.
I maintain the following certificates:
Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET)
Compressed Air Emergency Breathing System (CA-EBS)
Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET)
Global Wind Organisation (GWO) First aid
Global Wind Organisation (GWO) Working at Heights
Hostile Environment Training by Oakleaf Worldwide
Protection and Behavior in Crisis Regions by the German Army
Advanced Course Protection and Behavior in Crisis Regions by the German Army
Medicals: NOGEPA, G25, G41, EASA Class 2 aero-medical examination
Drone Pilot License (EASA A1-A3, A2)
Drone Pilot License (EASA special category, on- and offshore wind parks, BVLOS)
BZF I
