Light, life and lines: The pictures of the week 32

This week, our gallery photographers capture fleeting moments, strong contrasts and details and transform them into impressive visual narratives.

Aug 9, 2025 at 8:00 am CEST

5 min. read

c't Fotografie

By

Marie-Claire Koch

Whether wild moments in nature, quiet encounters by the lake, or surreal portraits – this week, our selected pictures tell stories between light and shadow, order and chaos, closeness and distance. They show us fireflies on a nocturnal dance, hippos in the golden Zambezi, insects on a flower mission, and at the same time lead us into abstract pictorial worlds full of symbolic power. A visual kaleidoscope that invites us to pause and marvel.

Loss of meaning

Woman with gas mask — Loss of meaning

(Image: Ivan im Abstrakten)

Rushing eyes stand out in the darkness, like a television on standby. Grainy black and white lends the image a raw, almost dystopian atmosphere, as if it comes from a world after the collapse. The series “Signal Loss” by Ivan im Abstrakten shows the metamorphosis of a person under the influence of permanent media overstimulation in twelve images. The photographer reports: “The work is thematically divided into three acts, loss of signal – loss of meaning – loss of self. It tells of the silent transformation that happens every day: imperceptible, creeping – until nothing remains but a static image. And even that is just an echo.”

He asks himself the question: how much input does a person need – and at what point does he begin to lose himself?

Paths of the fireflies

Glowing trails of fireflies dance through the warm evening air between the shadows of a dense forest path. A fascinating long-term photograph of the flight paths of fireflies by Stackbeetle. The sky turns a soft purple and pink, while the silhouettes of the trees and a crooked wooden fence give the image depth and structure. The fine lines of light from the insects seem like fleeting notes in a nocturnal melody of nature. A moment full of stillness, movement, and magic, captured in the transition between day and night.

Hippo - Family

Three hippos emerge from a glistening body of water in the Lower Zambezi, one close behind the other, and look curiously towards Joachim Kopatzki's camera. The animals appear calm but alert as they stand partially submerged in the water. Kopatzki reports on the photo: “It was taken in June 2024 on the Zambezi River in the Lower Zambezi National Park. My wife and I were alone with the guide on a boat on the Zambezi and saw the hippos. I lay flat on the bottom of the boat to get an interesting perspective. The guide steered the boat so that I could capture the scenery with a long focal length. Top teamwork!”

German train from oweick

Warm sunlight colors the Deutsche Bahn office building an intense orange. The regularly arranged windows reflect the clear, deep blue sky. Clear lines and geometric structure dominate the architecture. The scene captured by oweick appears calm, almost graphic, with a strong color contrast.

The photographer reports: “At the beginning of the year, I set myself the challenge of taking a photo every day. On the one hand, it's very challenging because you often don't come up with a good idea and the photos turn out mediocre. On the other hand, you go through life every day with your head held high and look for the beauty in everyday life instead of staring at your phone.”

Videos by heise

A popular meeting place

Bees on thistles — Popular meeting place

(Image: bild0815)

Three different insects cavort on purple thistle flowers in the middle of a green, blurred natural backdrop. A hoverfly with striking yellow and black markings is sucking nectar from one of the flowers. A smaller wasp with a bright yellow abdomen can be seen right next to it. In the background, an iridescent beetle with a metallic green-blue coloration sits on another flower. The hustle and bustle and the diversity of pollinators in a natural habitat captured by image0815 .

Chatting by the lake.

Two people on a bench by a lake — Chatting by the lake.

(Image: Thomas Brahtel)

Two elderly people sit on a bench on the shore of a quiet lake and gaze into the distance. An impressive Alpine panorama with snow-capped peaks stretches out before them. The scene, photographed by Thomas Brahtel, appears peaceful and timeless, enhanced by the black and white image. In the foreground, tall reeds sway gently in the wind. A swan swims alone over the water, which reflects the surrounding mountains. I wonder what there is to talk about here?

Everyone is beaming

Sunflowers — All beams

(Image: Igfokus)

Sunny “faces” as far as the eye can see. Bright yellow flowers stand close together and seem to stretch endlessly. The vibrant colors radiate a summery warmth, supported by the lush green of the leaves. The arrangement appears harmonious and rhythmic, almost like a pattern. Igfoku's picture conveys an impression of abundance, light, and life.

The pictures of the week at a glance: