Heike Ollertz

 

 


 

 

 

"After a trip through Ireland what remains above all is the memory of such landscapes. They are heart-breakingly beautiful... and so empty.

This is why we can inhabit them with our own dreams, the ideal human who – uncorrupted – lives in harmony with the sea and
the land."

John Putman, A New Day For Ireland, 1984

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The old man told me what he thought about the advan-
tage of fear: 'A man who is not afraid of the sea will soon drown', he said, 'because he will sail out on
a day when he shouldn't. But we are afraid of the sea, and we only drown every now and then.'"

John M. Sygne, The Aran Islands, 1907

 

"Ireland – trips to a fabulous coast"

Since it was established in April 1997, the 'mare' magazine has been synonymous with good design and choice photography, receiving numerous awards from national and international juries. The book entitled "Ireland – trips to a fabulous coast" is the first in a series of pure photo volumes with which the publishing house demonstrates its enjoyment of clear visual images and its commitment to classic photography. I was commissioned to do this wonderful project in the late autumn of 2003.

My job consisted of depicting signs of human life along the 5,400 kilometres of Irish coastline. Over a period of one year I made five trips to an island that I previously knew only from literature and the photos of others, and spent a total of three months there. After a first brief trip to Donegal in November 2003 it became clear to me:

I wanted to convey the mysticism and transcendence of Irish coastal landscapes, as well as the history and the character of a unique habitat and natural region. To do so, I chose the medium of aesthetic over-accentuation, frequently by capturing extreme light moods. My intention was not to reinforce a cliché, but to produce a sensual abstraction.


 Roundstone, County Galway

In the 19th century, the Scottish engineer Alexander Nimmo was commissioned with expanding the harbours in the west of Ireland. In 1820, he built the pier at Roundstone set against the magnificent backdrop of the Connemara Mountains.


 Acchill Island, County Mayo

In the secluded rocky inlets in the far west, the sea performs its mystery play of elemental forces.


 Inisheer, Aran Islands, County Clare

High on the rocks lies the wreck of the "Plassey", which was shipwrecked in a storm in 1960. The islanders were able to save the entire crew. Years later, huge Atlantic waves washed the freighter on
to land.


 Baltimore, County Cork

The sea mark at the harbour entrance is called "Lot's Wife" in allusion to the biblical mother who turned into a pillar of salt.

Shooting technique

The shots were taken with an Alpha 12 camera in the classic landscape photography format 6x9 centimetres. After my many years of excellent experience using Schneider-Kreuznach lenses I chose the
Super-Symmar 4.5/80 XL Aspheric and the Schneider-Kreuznach Apo-Helvetar 5.6/48 Multicoating.
 

  Heike Ollertz

Personal details

Heike Ollertz, one of the first 'mare' photographers, lives in Berlin, where the master scholar of the University of the Arts is head of the photography department of the Lette Foundation following many years in teaching.