Photography by Harald Lemke

Dear LuLa Reader,

Today we invite you to step into the Sachsenwald with photographer Harald Lemke. His tree portraits aren’t just images – they’re an invitation to slow down, look closely, and reconnect with the quiet wisdom of ancient forests. We hope Lemke’s work inspires you to venture out, camera in hand, and discover your own moments of stillness among the trees.

The story in a nutshell

Landscape photography has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  For several years now, I have been hiking and photographing in the Sachsenwald, the largest forest in Germany’s northern state Schleswig-Holstein. In particular, I have been captivated by the old trees, which give each part of the forest its own unique character. These special trees fill me with awe, because old trees are a symbol of life. 

The trees tell us about becoming and passing, about the struggle for light, and about the defiant resistance to storms and weather. And they exude a special dignity, even in dying. Whoever observes them in peace and lets their presence sink in can understand Hermann Hesse, for whom old trees were sacred:

“Trees have always been the most penetrating preachers for me. I revere them when they live in communities and families, in forests and groves. And I revere them even more when they stand alone. They are like solitary beings. Not like hermits, who have sneaked away out of some weakness, but like great, solitary humans, like Beethoven and Nietzsche. In their tops, the world rustles, their roots rest in the infinite; yet they do not get lost in it, but strive with all the power of their lives for only one thing: to fulfill their own law, to develop their own form, to represent themselves. Nothing is holier, nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree…”

I think it cannot be expressed better.

In phases that make life hard to bear, Hesse’s trees sternly admonish us: “Be still! Be still! Look at me. Life is not easy, life is not hard…“

When I photograph a special tree in the Sachsenwald, I begin almost every photo session with his compelling admonition: “Be still! Look at me.” And so, I have sat before each of these trees and pondered what story it might tell, what makes it so special, and how I can best capture its uniqueness in a picture. 

I would be delighted if my tree portraits inspire you to take a closer look on your next walk in the forest. 

And perhaps you will also hear a tree speaking to you: “Be still! Be still! Look at me.”

We are showcasing just a selection of Harald’s tree portraits here. You can find more on his Sachsenwalblog. 

Wabi Sabi in the Sachsenwald

With its bizarre and wiry shape, this hornbeam by the wayside exudes ascetic grace and elegance. Light conditions, soil composition, and location must come together in the right combination over many years for nature to create such masterpieces as this tree. The exceptional charm of this striking hornbeam lies in its simple yet complete beauty.

It is a beauty based on natural irregularity and uniqueness. A flaw, like the broken branch here, does not detract from this beauty; on the contrary, it only emphasizes it.

In Japan, this aesthetic concept has a long tradition and a beautiful name: Wabi Sabi. Wabi is the simple, the quiet, and the transient, while Sabi stands for the effect of time, the dignity of age, and a natural patina.

Pina

With an almost ascetic attitude and full of stringy strength, this old hornbeam is a special highlight in the Sachsenwald forest. Its powerful yet graceful appearance spontaneously reminded me of Pina Bausch, the great dancer and ballet director.

Pina is particularly impressive in the early morning, when the still low sun makes the moss of the old hornbeam glow. Then she presents herself in front of the tall trunks of the Douglas firs as if in the spotlight of a stage.

The Guardians

Several burial mounds from the Late Bronze Age are scattered throughout the Sachsenwald forest. This burial mound is guarded by three ancient oak trees, the oldest of which has a trunk circumference of 4.80 meters. This means it is probably around 370 years old.

At that place, I always imagine all the things that have happened in and around the Sachsenwald since the wild boars overlooked that one acorn around 1650. The Thirty Years’ War had just ended when it began to sprout. It has survived Napoleon, the Danish period, three German empires with three unification wars and two world wars. 

And now they just stands there: “Be still! Look at me.”

Torch of Hope

A cold, wet January morning. The forest is as dark and gray as the heavy sky over the Sachsenwald. And as the gray slowly began to seep into my thoughts, my gaze fell on this surreal scene.

With its millions upon millions of chlorophyll cells, the moss of the dead oak collected the little light and reflected it so intensely that I had the impression of a green flaming torch.

I’ve been there several times since then, but this natural spectacle has never been as intense as every morning. Sometimes all you need is to be in the right place at the right time.

Old Men and Trees

Old men love old trees. They are a bit like us. Their sap flow has already dried up and economic utilization is no longer possible. They stand crooked and almost broken in the way and are really just a nuisance.

On a hike through the Sachsenwald forest, I discovered my passion for old gnarled trees at this oak tree. I had already walked over 10 kilometers and still had ten more to go. As a newly retired person, I had just decided to keep fit with a weekly hike. Unfortunately, I was going too fast and my tunnel vision was fixated on the path rather than the forest. It was high time for a rest and I looked for a suitable tree stump to sit on. 

What I then found was not only a place to sit, but also this crooked oak tree. It was simply standing there in the midst of spruce trees that were just rising up, radiating a special beauty and dignity. And it immediately got me thinking. Wasn’t that oak a bit like me?

With roots deep in the ground and a light crown in the sky, the old tree has seen and survived all weathers and storms. Old wounds have long since healed and are part of its character. The rotten wood only seems dead, it is alive. Even through moss, fungi, maggots, beetles, birds, bats, martens and other creatures. I thought: living, ageing and dying in the midst of new life, in beauty and dignity – who wouldn’t want that?

The Saxon Forest

The photographs in this project were taken in the forest sites of the Saxon Forest (Sachsenwald), which lies to the north-east of Hamburg and is Schleswig-Holstein’s largest contiguous forest area. At the time of Charlemagne, this forest area marked the borderline “Limes Saxoniae” and separated the Saxon tribe in the west from the Slavs in the east.

Even though the Saxon Forest is now privately owned and used intensively for forestry and hunting, it is still part of the local identity of 15 neighboring communities and their inhabitants. It is an important nature reserve and bird sanctuary with diverse flora and fauna and a popular local recreation area in the Hamburg metropolitan region. In addition, this forest has many references to early history and German history, as Kaiser Wilhelm I gave the Sachsenwald to the architect of the German Empire, Otto von Bismarck, as a thank you for his services to the unification of the German dukedoms and principalities. Since then the Sachsenwald has seen the German Empire, the first World War, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, the World War II, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Reunification in 1990. 

For all its scenic beauty, however, this ancient forest is no pure idyll. Tangible conflicts are inevitable if the Sachsenwald is to serve simultaneously as a timber plantation, hunting ground, recreation area, sports arena and nature reserve. If the interests of the owners then collide with political ideas, these conflicts also take place in the public sphere with media attention.

My Photografic Process

Forest photography requires patience, care, and knowledge. Most of my photographs have been created through a three-step process: scout, shoot and print!

Scout

Photo: Christian Geisler @ meerfreiheit.com

Over time, I have found that separating “scouting” and “shooting” makes sense: On my cross-country hikes through the Sachsenwald, I first explore the area and look for my subjects. On these tours, I often only have a universal zoom lens with me. Many of the photos I take during these outings are also usable. However, I often find that the time of day, the weather, or the equipment isn’t right. Then I return at the appropriate time with the right equipment and take the necessary time for a comprehensive shoot.

Shoot

The photo shoot itself is pure pleasure photography. After hiking to the location with the necessary equipment, I first try to connect with the place and its „genius loci“. I find a good spot to sit, pour myself a cup of tea, and let the scene take effect on me. In bad weather, I set up a tarp. Then I make notes on what colors I perceive, what thoughts go through my mind, and what particularly stands out to me. Only then do I put the camera on the tripod and calmly try out different angles and compositions. Such a shoot can easily last several hours.

Print

Even though we live in a digital world and most photographs only end up on the screen, for me the printed image is part of photography. Whether it’s a book, a calendar or a framed picture: Only in print do I as a photographer have control over the presentation of my work. I publish a large-format calendar every year and show my pictures in many exhibitions, for which I have also printed a catalog.

A Brief Note on Harald’s Photography Equipment

The focus of this article is not on the equipment. Therefore, just a brief mention: Forest photography is a technically demanding subject and requires a powerful, robust, and flexible photography system. I shoot with Fujifilm-X and Fujifilm-GFX cameras and mostly use Fuji’s fast prime lenses. I also enjoy using my historical Zuiko Automacro lenses, whose quality still impresses today, even on the GFX 100s. During the shoot, a stable and tall tripod is indispensable. For scouting I use a lightweight SIRUI travel tripod, while for my shoots I carry a large Rollei Alpha XL on which I’ve mounted the handy Core 75 Leveler from Arcaswiss.

Acknowledgements

The tree portraits shown here are only part of my photo project about the Sachsenwald. I would like to thank the owners, foresters and hunters of the Sachsenwald who have supported me in my forest photography with their tolerance and valuable advice.

All photographs were taken with various Fujifilm cameras and lenses. Fujifilm Germany supported my project by lending me a GFX100s, which I needed for technical reasons for some of my tree portraits.

I would also like to thank the organizations and institutions where I have been able to exhibit my photographs and the many people who have shown interest in my work at these exhibitions.

Special thanks go to my dear wife, who for years has put up with my disturbing her sleep and leaving before sunrise in order to capture the best light for my photographs.

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