Creations - Eckart Mayer Photography

Close up on a pink-white colored orchid against green background

Palmengarten orchid beauty

For people who like nature and plants, the Palmengarten in Frankfurt is an interesting place to visit. As child and teeenager, I went there a number of times with my family. The differently themed houses showcase the botanics of many regions of the world. The hot and humid one with tropical forest and plants was one of my favourites. There one can find lots of orchid species showcasing their diverse beauty. To make this look even more romantic, I applied a soft-focus filter (Frankfurt, Germany, May 1984 - Image ID: 198405-DE-02)

Two small pink blossoms on large green and wet leaves

Pink blossoms on large leaves

Spring blossoms are mostly captured when they are perfectly fresh and still on their trees or bushes. Rarely do photographers take images of them after they have fallen, and suffer the inevitable process of decay. When you lower your view, you might however find very unique and interesting motifs. I took this photo during my time in Taipei in our lush tropical garden. To further enhance the artistic effect, I digitally converted it into a subtle photo painting. (Taipei, Taiwan, February 2014 - Image ID 201402-TW-08)

Many yellow and red leaves arranged in the shape of a flower

Red and yellow leaves flower

Wouldn't you like this flower to grow somewhere naturally? Instead of a natural environment capture of colorful autumn foliage, I decided to do something different this year. So I collected a few of these stunning yellow to red painted leaves which I really found by coincidence. At home, I looked for an appropriate background to capture them with natural light. With strong wind blowing this was quite a challenge outdoors, so I later switched to our bathroom. Finally, I changed the background from grey tiles to a nice green. (Esslingen, Germany, November 2023 - Image ID: 202311-DE-12)

Red and yellow autumn leaves arranged in arrow shape

Colorful leaves arrow on blue

Wouldn't this be a nice traffic direction sign? Instead of the usual natural environment capture of colorful autumn foliage, I decided to do something different this year. So I collected a few of these stunning yellow to red painted leaves which I really found by coincidence. At home, I looked for an appropriate background to capture them with natural light. With strong wind blowing this was quite a challenge outdoors, so I later switched to our bathroom. Finally, I changed the background from grey tiles to intense blue. (Esslingen, Germany, November 2023 - Image ID: 202311-DE-10)

Twelve colorful autumn leaves in circle shape like a clock

Yellow and red leaves clock

How do you like this unique clock-style circle? Instead of the usual natural environment capture of colorful autumn foliage, I decided to do something different this year. So I collected a few of these stunning yellow to red painted leaves which I really found by coincidence. At home, I looked for an appropriate background to capture them with natural light. With strong wind blowing this was quite a challenge outdoors, so I later switched to our bathroom. Finally, I changed the background from grey tiles to a matching tone. (Esslingen, Germany, November 2023 - Image ID: 202311-DE-11)

A painting-style photo of five red burning candles

Five burning red candles

As part of my early photographic experiments with light, I also played around with special effect filters. One of these creates five images from a single motif. Obviously, this doesn't work with every object, and rarely with landscape. However, for this pre-Christmas candle shot, I very much like the visual impact. To further enhance the Festive Season look and feel, I converted the final photo into a digital painting. (Laubach, Germany, December 1982 - Image ID: 198212-DE-01)

A small forest with three stylized blue pine Xmas trees

Blue Pine Christmas Tree Forest

For those who prefer a more traditional look of a Xmas tree, I decided to create a special forest. It is based on an old photo of a blue pine. This coniferous tree is particularly beautiful in spring time, when the fresh immature cones are still red. Those look like the usual sphere decoration. This composite consists of various crops of a single photo on a black background. To further enhance the beauty, I converted the original image into a digital painting. Looks like an appealing greeting card or photo present for the Festive Season to me... (Esslingen, Germany, October 2023 - Image ID: 202310-DE-02)

A stylized Christmas tree composed of blue pine photos

Blue Pine Christmas Tree Eight Rows

For those who prefer a more traditional look of a Xmas tree, I decided to create this special edition with eight branches. It is based on an old photo of a blue pine. This coniferous tree is particularly beautiful in spring time, when the fresh immature cones are still red. Those look like the usual sphere decoration. This composite consists of various crops of a single photo on a black background. To further enhance the beauty, I converted the original image into a digital painting. Looks like an appealing greeting card or photo present for the Festive Season to me... (Esslingen, Germany, October 2023 - Image ID: 202310-DE-01)

A composite of eight chaotically arranged blue pine trees

Blue Pine Christmas Tree Mikado

For those who prefer a more traditional look of a Xmas tree, I decided to create this spillikins edition with eight individual trees. The material is based on an old photo of a blue pine. This coniferous tree is particularly beautiful in spring time, when the fresh immature cones are still red. Those look like the usual sphere decoration. This composite consists of various crops of a single photo on a black background. To further enhance the beauty, I converted the original image into a digital painting. Looks like an appealing greeting card or photo present for the Festive Season to me... (Esslingen, Germany, October 2023 - Image ID: 202310-DE-03)

Still-life with half filled red wine glass and shards

Half full or empty, and partially broken ?

No, this image is not AI-generated. It actually is one of my early creative works in photography. In order to better understand my camera and how to work with light, I spent quite a few late-night hours translating ideas into color slides. In this specific case, I dropped one of two identical glasses. Instead of just throwing it away, I dediced to visualize the famous "glass half full or empty" concept. Via double exposure I combined the two images of that photo with one of the broken twin. (Stuttgart, Germany, October 1993 - Image ID: 199310-DE-01)

Artificial dark red alpenglow illuminating the Matterhorn peak

Alpenglow - Red hot Matterhorn against dark sky

As much as I like nature, I sometimes enjoy to play around with light. This color change was not done in Photoshop. I already did this when I scan my analogue slides, and experimented with different color settings. The inspiration for this particular one came from the term "Alpenglühen". It describes the effect of the mountain peaks glowing in the evening sunlight (= therefore Alpenglow). And whilst the color in reality is more yellow to orange than dark red, I liked this version which looks like burning charcoal. (Zermatt, Switzerland, July 2013 - Image ID 201307-CH-07)

Two water bottles and glasses with lemon and ice on striped table cloth

Summer refreshment - Drinks with lemon and ice

Even an afternoon refreshment can easily become a photo model. In one of the countless cafes we ordered some drinks. After a few re-arrangements the glasses, bottles and spoons became their own piece of art on the two-colored tablecloth. (Cannes, France, July 1993 - Image ID: 199307-FR-14)

Three trees with red, yellow and green leaves on alpine meadow

Autumn trees traffic light - Photo painting

Even though we travelled the "Route des Grandes Alpes" in the mid of summer, some trees already wore their autumn outfit. One of my personal photo highlights is this natural traffic light of three different trees with the usual colors of our most important road signal. And no, I didn't change the colors in Photoshop. The credit for this piece of art goes to Mother Nature!

Almost full moon rising above red rocks with pine trees

Moon rising above colorful red rocks and pine trees - Photo painting

Later in the evening, I took this photo from a different angle and perspective. The moon nicely rises above the red colored rocks and some pines still illuminated a little bit by the sun. (Cote d'Azur, France, July 1993 - Image ID: 199307-FR-17)

Tree skeletons in saltpan against orange sand dune and night sky

Deadvlei trees and sand dune (photo painting)

To get into the famous Deadvlei, one needs to take a walk (at least when we visited, no vehicles were allowed to drive there). The breathtaking scenery is a well-deserved and abundant reward. (Sossusvlei, Namibia, December 2007 - Image ID 202212-NA-06)

Tree skeleton on dry soil with red sanddune in the background

Red dune tree skeleton (photo painting)

Countless photos have been taken of the few dead trees in the Deadvlei, in most cases against the dark blue sky. I skipped that part for this image, and converted it into an expressionist-style photo painting (Sossusvlei, Namibia, December 2007 - Image ID 202212-NA-07)

Large red sand dune with wind-created ripples against starry sky

Sossusvlei night dune waves - Photo Painting

Impressive, no matter what kind of camera or post-processing you use. The huge red dunes in the Sossusvlei (Namibia) always perform as a landscape supermodel. Their appearance changes a lot during the day, depending on the light. In this case, I combined the original landscape photo with a 2nd image of the stars at night. To truly experience the breathtaking natural beauty, it is important to go for some hikes onto and between the sand dunes, ideally early in the morning to avoid the midday heat. I would definitely recommend to stay a few days to explore and live this desert feeling. (Sossusvlei, Namibia, December 2007 - Image ID 202212-NA-09)

Untouched huge red Sossusvlei sand dunes against sky

Endless sea of sand (photo painting)

Taking an extended hike in the Sossusvlei, and climbing some dunes is quite exciting. At the same time, one starts thinking about those who had to cross an entire desert on foot without proper supplies, for whatever reason... Sand until the horizon, and then: more sand. (Sossusvlei, Namibia, December 2007 - Image ID 202212-NA-11)

Attention: Left curve (photo painting)

Just outside of Swakopmund, I found this street warning sign looking out behind the impressive yellow sand dunes. The rope leading into infinity and the white clouds in the dark blue sky completed the composition. (Swakopmund, Namibia, December 2007 - Image ID 202212-NA-02)

Composite of nine colorful autum leaves on beech

Autumn Visuals I (Beech)

For nature lovers, autumn is an amazing season of ever-changing visuals. This is a compilation of various photos taken for my series "Foreigners". Using the same background for differently coloured leaves, and putting them next to each other summarizes a golden October day. (Esslingen, Germany, November 2022 - Image ID 202211-DE-04)

Composite of nine colorful autum leaves on red oak

Autumn Visuals II (Red Oak)

Composite of nine colorful autum leaves on ginko

Autumn Visuals III (Ginko)

Composite of nine colorful autum leaves on ginko and red oak

Autumn Visuals V (Ginko - Red Oak)

Composite of nine colorful autum leaves on various other leaves

Autumn visuals - Mix of colorful leaves from various trees

For nature lovers, autumn is an amazing season of ever-changing visuals. This is a compilation of various photos taken for my series "Foreigners". Using diverse backgrounds for differently coloured leaves, and putting them next to each other summarizes the breathtaking beauty of a golden October day. (Esslingen, Germany, November 2022 - Image ID 202211-DE-09)

Composite of nine colorful autum leaves on red oak and ginko

Autumn Visuals IV (Red Oak - Ginko)

Composite of autumn leaves forming a 8-layer Christmas tree

Beech autumn leaves Xmas tree

Based on my colorful autumn leaves series "Foreigner", I decided to go one step further, and to create three uniquely different Xmas trees for the upcoming Festive Season. Instead of the common coniferous trees, these colorful composites consist of various single shots of fallen leaves from deciduous trees. I took them already last year in October 2022. To make the colors even more striking, I decided to use a pitch black background. This specific version shows single leafs on a bed of yellow beech oak leaves. (Esslingen, Germany, November 2022 - Image ID 202211-DE-01)

Composite of autumn leaves forming a 7-layer Christmas tree

Red oak autumn leaves Xmas tree

Based on my colorful autumn leaves series "Foreigner", I decided to go one step further, and to create three uniquely different Xmas trees for the upcoming Festive Season. Instead of the common coniferous trees, these colorful composites consist of various single shots of fallen leaves from deciduous trees. I took them already last year in October 2022. To make the colors even more striking, I decided to use a pitch black background. This specific version shows single leafs on a bed of red oak leaves. (Esslingen, Germany, November 2022 - Image ID 202211-DE-02)

Composite of autumn leaves forming a 6-layer Christmas tree

Mixed autumn leaves Xmas tree

Based on my colorful autumn leaves series "Foreigner", I decided to go one step further, and to create three uniquely different Xmas trees for the upcoming Festive Season. Instead of the common coniferous trees, these colorful composites consist of various single shots of fallen leaves from deciduous trees. I took them already last year in October 2022. To make the colors even more striking, I decided to use a pitch black background. This specific version shows single leafs on a bed of mixed leaves from various tree species. (Esslingen, Germany, November 2022 - Image ID 202211-DE-03)

Intense red colored maple leaf on black and white clay tile

LOVE - Red maple leaf on monochrome grey tile

It's arguably the most common link between human feelings and a color: RED means LOVE. After an extended period of rain, I found this colorful gift just outside our house in Taipei. The original photo, before digital editing for split color, was completely red, including the clay tile. Autumn leaves in general make great photo models. In this case, I liked the structure of the solid red clay tile providing a nice contrast to the soft and transient leaf. Whenever I look at this finished product, I do think about Canada and the Canadian flag. (Esslingen, Germany, September 2022 - Image ID 202209-DE-01)

LIGHT - Yellow leaf on dark grey bricks

Do you associate certain colors with specific feelings,events or other things? As the brightest basic color, people frequently think about LIGHT (or the sun) when they see YELLOW. This wet leaf set against the dark black & white background clearly illustrates this effect. I took the photo in Taipei (Taiwan) on a rainy day in 2013, and enhanced the color/contrast with a b&w split. In Asia, yellow is the color of virtue and nobility, whereas in western culture it is not such a popular tone. How do you like this specific type of yellow? (Esslingen, Germany, September 2022 - Image ID 202209-DE-02)

Closeup of green leaf with raindrops on black and white bricks

HOPE - green leaf on grey bricks

What are your associations when it comes to certain colors? GREEN is usually associated with HOPE, nature, freshness and environmental protection. To illustrate this feeling (currently in high demand), herewith another rain-inspired image from my time in Taipei. To enhance the effect, I turned everything except the main subject into black & white. And yes, green also may symbolize other feelings, such as jealousy and envy. But I clearly prefer the positive annotations. (Esslingen, Germany, September 2022 - Image ID 202209-DE-03)

A Norwegian beach and cloudy sky transformed in sphere shape

Skoganvarre spherized stony beach and sky

On the way South towards Finland, we came across this peaceful beach with shallow water nicely structured by a huge amount of stones. To enhance the magical atmosphere of this place, I used a filter creating a sphere in the center of the image. (Skoganvarre, Norway, July 1992 - Image ID 199207-NO-16)

An iceland gravel road with colorful rainbow and dark sky

A stony road in Iceland towards the rainbow

When nature in June 2022 presented me with a jaw-dropping rainbow & sunray opportunity in Esslingen (Germany), I had to rush to get my camera and took a few shots. Whilst the original image was nice, I decided to do something special. So I digitally combined it with an older photo of an endless gravel road crossing a volcanic landscape in Iceland, taken back in 2016. Apart from the visual impact, I also consider the result a nice symbol for the still long and bumpy road towards true diversity. (Esslingen, Germany, June 2022 - Image ID 202206-DE-01)

A colorful photography-based digital painting of La Digue beach

Seychelles tropical dream beach rock formations - Photo Painting

In the 1980'ies ago, this location was used for a TV- and cinema commercial by Bacardi Ron. The holiday feeling was accompanied by corresponding tropical music. Back then, few people knew about this place. Today, it is one of the most famous beaches in the world. The Anse Source d'Argent on La Digue Island, Seychelles still has the same "Wow" effect. To find it this empty, without tourists, once needs to go either early in the morning, or late in the afternoon. Since thousands of pictures of this spot have already been published, I created a digital photo painting. (La Digue, Seychelles, June 2012 - Image ID: 201206-SC-26)

A colorful digital painting of coconut branch on the beach

Branch of a coconut palm tree on a tropical beach (Photo Paintin

I found this highly decorative natural piece of art on one of the most famous tropical beaches in the world: “Anse Source d'Argent” on La Digue. Whilst most people just walked by without paying much attention, I couldn’t resist to take a number of pictures. (La Digue, Seychelles, June 2012 - Image ID: 201206-SC-25)

A photography-based digital painting of La Digue granite beach

Calm waters on a magic Seychelles beach - Photo Painting

Many years ago, this location was used for a TV- and cinema commercial by Bacardi Ron. The holiday and chill-out feeling was accompanied by corresponding tropical music. At that time, very few people knew about this place. Today, it probably is one of the most famous beaches in the world. The Anse Source d'Argent on La Digue Island, Seychelles still has the same "Wow" effect. Since thousands of pictures have already been published with this iconic dream spot, I decided to digitally convert the standard photo into something different. (La Digue, Seychelles, June 2012 - Image ID: 201206-SC-24)

Colorful digital painting of Seychelles granite rock beach

Seychelles Laraie beach granite rocks and catamaran - Photo Painting

One of various highlights of our Seychelles vacation was a organized catamaran day trip from Praslin. One of the stops led us to the hidden Laraie Bay on Curieuse Island. This one is best accessed by boat. Apart from swimming, we had time for a walk on the picturesque beach with the typical granite boulders. And what a surprise it was to discover these uniquely shaped rocks. Not sure what your first association was? To me they look as if a giant predator dinosaur had lost its teeth. Looks like the perfect location for a honeymoon photo shooting! And a photo painting... (Curieuse, Seychelles, June 2012 - Image ID: 201206-SC-22)

Magnolia flowers covered by powder snow against starry sky

Night sky Magnolia, covered by the snow...

Winter 2021/22 virtually never arrived in Germany's greater Stuttgart area. It was far too warm, and whenever it was cold, there was no precipitation. Then, in early April, snow finally fell overnight, and fresh powder covered all the flowers with a white dress. Perfect timing for taking some photos of the magnolia trees in full blossom. Even without snow, they are very beautiful. With the powder snow on top, and combined with the starry night sky, they looked even better. But I had to be quick, this beauty didn't last long until the snow melted away. (Esslingen, Germany, April 2022 - Image ID: 202204-DE-08)

Red and pink cherry blossoms covered with snowflakes

Snowy red cherry blossoms - Photo Painting

The winter 2021/22 virtually never arrived in Germany's greater Stuttgart area. It was far too warm, and whenever it was cold, there was no precipitation. Only in April, when everyone was looking forward for spring, snow finally fell overnight. With vegatation already pretty much in springtime mode, fresh powder covered all the flowers with a white dress. This was a great photo opportunity for those who got up early in the morning. Can you spot the ice crystals on top of the cherry blossoms? I converted the image in an acrylic-style photo painting. (Esslingen, Germany, April 2022 - Image ID: 202204-DE-06)

Abstract digital painting of pink cherry blossoms

Snowy pink ornamental cherry tree in full bloom - Photo Painting

The winter 2021/22 virtually never arrived in Germany's greater Stuttgart area. It was far too warm, and whenever it was cold, there was no precipitation. Only in April, when everyone was looking forward for spring, snow finally fell overnight. With vegatation already pretty much in springtime mode, fresh powder covered all the flowers with a white dress. This was a great photo opportunity for those who got up early in the morning. To enhance the natural beauty, I converted the pink snow-covered cherry blossoms into a modern photo painting. (Esslingen, Germany, April 2022 - Image ID: 202204-DE-01)

Digital painting with low-angle view of cherry tree in full bloom

Cherry tree in full bloom from below (photo painting)

Even if it doesn't look like it: this photo was taken at night near the castle in Esslingen, and was then digitally edited. I especially liked the unusual perspective... (Esslingen, Germany, April 2022 - Image ID: 202204-DE-02)

Scenic view of Atlantic ocean at sunset over Cape-Dutch rooftops

Evening atmosphere above the rooftops of Paternoster (photo pain

The typical, Dutch-inspired houses of the Cape Province in front of the intensely colored evening sky of the Atlantic. (Paternoster, South Africa, April 2012 - Image ID: 201204-ZA-21)

Scenic aerial view of Cape Town mountains, bays and city

Cape Town's mountains and bays from above (Photo painting)

The return flight along the coast with views of Table Mountain, Signal Hill, Camps Bay, Clifton Bay and Cape Town unfortunately was far too short, but breathtaking. This time as an artistic photo painting. (Cape Town, South Africa, April 2012 - Image ID: 201204-ZA-16)

Scenic aerial view of Cape Town Seapoint and mountain range

Cape Town Seapoint and surroundings from above (Photo painting)

The flight along the coast with views of Table Mountain, Signal Hill, Sea Point, the bays and the long mountain range is spectacular, in this version as a photo painting variant. (Cape Town, South Africa, April 2012 - Image ID: 201204-ZA-15)

Scenic aerial view of Cape Town Stadium with Signal Hill

Cape Town panorama from above - Photo Painting

Some places have the reputation of being spectacularly beautiful. They create this deep longing to visit at least once, and inspire people of all ages and cultures to travel. South Africa's Cape Town clearly falls into this category. Despite of all the photos and videos already seen, tourists are usually overwhelmed when they see it in person for the first time. A new highlight built for the 2010 World Cup is the "Cape Town Stadium" at the foot of Signal Hill. I consider it to be equally impressive from the air as from the ground. Looking at the entire panarama from the helicopter is just breathtaking. (Cape Town, South Africa, April 2012 - Image ID: 201204-ZA-14)

Scenic aerial view of Table Mountain and Cape Town harbour

Table Mountain and Cape Town harbour from above - Photo Painting

Some places just have the reputation of being spectacularly beautiful. They create this deep longing to visit at least once, and inspire people of all ages and cultures to travel. Cape Town with its famous Table Mountain clearly falls into this category. And despite of all the photos and videos already seen, tourists are usually overwhelmed when they see it in person for the first time. From the air, the wild beauty of Cape Town and its surroundings becomes really clear. This photo taken from a helicopter shows the harbour with part of the city and Table Mountain in the background. (Cape Town, South Africa, April 2012 - Image ID: 201204-ZA-13)

An usual climate change traffic light with colored icebergs

Iceberg traffic light reflections

Considering the huge amount of normal images with traffic lights, I wanted to do something more creative. This fine art composite originates from the times of analogue photography. Instead of digital post-processing, I worked with a mirror and different colored lightbulbs. With this arrangement, I created a magic iceberg-shaped landscape using the three-colored scheme of a traffic light. Each iceberg reflection makes it look as if they are floating on a pitch-black lake. (Germany, Esslingen, March 2022 - Image ID: 202203-DE-02)

Composite of four icebergs in different colors on a black lake

Four coloured "Icebergs" on a crystal-clear black lake

From the times of analogue photography, without digital image processing: Working with a mirror and different colored lightbulbs, I tried to create magical iceberg-shaped landscapes and details against a pitch-black background. Obviously, this composition of four different images was created using Photoshop. (Esslingen, Germany, March 2022 - Image ID: 199203-DE-01)

About this archive

The Creations archives contain all photos that fit to this theme. The images here are either significantly modified/enhanced after capturing the original, or digitally composed. The latter refers to composites, where I combine various images into a colorful collage. Double exposures, selective color, special filters and photo-based digital paintings may also fall into this unique category. Please note that AI-generated images are not part of my work!

Visitors can access this part of my photo collection via the portfolio tab on the home page. There, please click on the respective sample photo, and you will see the latest uploads in this category. For an improved viewing experience in a larger size, please just click on a single image of your choice. Scrolling down will take you to photos published earlier.

Some photos have a green icon in the upper right hand corner, a shopping bag. Clicking this icon will take visitors directly to one of my online stores. This includes my own image license store with downloads for private or business use. Other items are available as wall prints and photo presents on fineartamerica.com, or as digital downloads on Getty Images.

Please enjoy the photographic journey within my Creations archives!

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