Making-of

Creation of the pictures

Here you can find out everything about the creation of the images as they change from day to night.

In keeping with the saying “Photography is all about timing,” every image in “Zeitsprung Hannover” has its own story.

“During the campaign, I met a wide variety of fascinating people who treated me with incredible openness and warmth. I also learned a little about myself, pushing my limits—especially given the weather conditions. Shoots where I was completely alone, in an environment where not a soul was present—such as at Marienburg Castle at night—made it clear to me just how silent silence really can be. And yet, on the other hand, it was simply fantastic to be focused solely on myself and the unique, phenomenal perspectives and to be able to capture them in that one true moment. Because that is exactly what photography is to me,” reports Stefan Knaak.

Background stories - some examples

One campaign image shows the polar bear enclosure at Hannover’s adventure zoo. Below him, in the cool water where the polar bears frolic, Knaak stands on a railing overlooking the enclosure’s lake on the hottest day of the year. The zookeeper next to him tosses food down to his charges, allowing the photographer to capture the polar bears’ gazes directly through his camera. The night in the cordoned-off area turns out to be the longest of the campaign for Knaak, and so he ends up almost chatting with the seals in the enclosure across the way. At 1:30 a.m., the zoo turns off all the lights, and Knaak witnesses a small miracle: the Milky Way is visible in the sky, right in the middle of the city, with all the intensity of its lights.

Another scene featuring the largest number of photos taken: 3,800 photos were captured for a single time-lapse image, offering a panoramic view of Hannover from the university’s Conti Campus. To conclude, this image once again highlights Hannover’s greatest strength: the contrast between city and countryside, nature and infrastructure, and the transition from day to night, which lends the city ever-greater splendor.

The inclusion of the calendar month of February required a little imagination.

Time Jump: Hannover – Lichtenberg Roundabout — February's Featured Image: A Glimpse Back in Time: Hannover – Lichtenberg Roundabout, Linden

Since there is no one at the Lichtenberg roundabout in Linden who could have recommended a suitable spot to the photographer, Knaak knocks on the door of the house across the square. His persistence pays off, and a friendly family invites him to spend the night on their balcony—dinner included! Post-processing the image of the Lichtenberg roundabout proves to be a bit of a challenge for the photographer. He had to reposition nearly 50 individual objects to create a cohesive composition.

A Glimpse into the Future: Hannover – Conti Campus — March's Feature: A Journey Through Time in Hannover – At the Linden Kitchen Garden

For Knaak, the March shoot turns out to be one of his personal highlights of this campaign: the 360° view from the Enercity skyscraper in the Ihme-Zentrum. After a thorough safety briefing, conditions on the roof aren’t ideal. Wind and weather force the photographer to stop temporarily. It’s too risky for the five cameras, positioned across the entire roof, to fall. But both the equipment and the photographer are rewarded, resulting in a wonderfully clear image of the sun and starry sky.

Stefan Knaak

Portrait of the photographer

Here you will find information about the photographer who took the motifs and the time-lapse videos.

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Making-of

Idea & technology

Here you will find all the information about the idea behind the campaign and the technology behind the motifs created.

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Videos to click through

Time Jump Hannover - Video Gallery

Here you can find all videos at a glance.

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