ENCHANTING REAL LIFE FAIRYTALE LANDSCAPES

KILLIAN SCHONBERGER

Fairytales are often illustrated with enchanting images of make-believe lands, magical castles, and charming folksy cottages in the woods. But because they are the stuff of fantasy, the illustrations have typically been drawings or paintings.

Photographer Kilian Schönberger has created a series of landscape photos, entitled “Brothers Grimm Wanderings,” which capture the magic and charm of these timeless stories.

Think Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, or Snow White.

Schönberger, who, interestingly, is colorblind, has always favored the dramatic forms and composition of remote landscapes.

“I prefer temperate and high latitudes and alpine landscapes,” he explains. “I like the harsh beauty of those areas and the peculiar melancholy that surrounds them.”

As a child, Schönberger grew up playing on the edge of the forest behind his home. He became fascinated by the mysteries of the woods and their secret places. 

Norway, Iceland, the Swiss Alps, Scotland, the Pacific Northwest, Kamchatka, Patagonia, New Zealand, the Altai Mountains, Canada, Siberia, and his native Bavaria are places he favors. 

The Brothers Grimm photos were primarily shot in remote rural areas of Middle Europe.

Moody, with veils of fog caressing gnarled trees and lush moss carpets, and church steeple piercing through the rich haze, Schönberger’s images are deeply enchanting.

Check out Schönberger’s new book, "Sagenhaftes Deutschland" (Fabulous Germany), which presents his “Brothers Grimms Homeland" project. With images taken along his 40,000 miles journey as he traversed Germany over the course of a year.

“I was searching the places described in folk myths, sagas, legends and fairytales and tried to capture them in the mood of the old stories, Schönberger explains.

You can see some of Schönberger’s enchanting work in our post The Spectacular Artistry of Dawn as well as on his website.

Read more about Beautiful Enchantments in Beautiful Enchanting Cottages Now, Beautiful Forest Enchantments Now and The Food of Love: Enchanting Wild Portraits.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

Want more stories like this? Sign up for our weekly BN Newsletter, Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr. Join our BeautifulNow Community and connect with the most beautiful things happening in the world right now!

Do you have amazing photos? Enter them in this week’s BN Photo Competition. We run new creative competitions every week! Now, it’s even easier to enter with the new BeautifulNow App!

Plus check out the rest of our App’s beautiful features. It’s free to download here.

IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
2. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “The Bridge.” Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
3. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “Hidden Horseshoe.” Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
4. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “Hidden Horseshoe.” Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
5. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “Winter Wonderland.” Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
6. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
7. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “The Dark Stronghold.” Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
8. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “The Floating Castle.” Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
9. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
10. Image: Courtesy of Frederking & Thaler. “Sagenhaftes Deutschland,” by Kilian Schönberger.
11. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “After the Rain.” Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
12. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “Dancing Ent.” Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
13. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “The Prisoner.” Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
14. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “The Epic Land.”  Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.
15. Image: by BN App - Download now!
16. Image: by Kilian Schönberger. “The Green Gorge.” Brothers Grimm Wanderings series.