In 2020, everything changed for Ilse. While cycling, she was hit by a car, resulting in a brain injury that temporarily cut her off from the world around her. In the silence that followed, Ilse rediscovered a way of seeing that she had known as a child: curious, attentive, full of wonder, and with the playful freedom to explore, try, and discover.
Her time in nature reconnected her with that intense, childlike wonder. The colors, the light, the movements of nature all felt deeper than ever before. It was there that Ilse discovered her true passion for wildlife photography, a love that began during her childhood in Africa. Her grandparents, who lived and worked there, instilled in her a deep appreciation for nature and wildlife.
With the playful eye of a child and her creative vision as a wildlife photographer, Ilse creates images that go beyond simply recording nature and its animals. Her photographs invite emotion: they touch, linger, spark wonder, and make you feel. She does this by playing with light, motion, form, and perspective.
In each of her photos, she captures an encounter: between herself and the animal, between the animal and the viewer, and sometimes even between animals themselves. Her aim is always to reveal what makes each animal, and each moment, unique.
Driven by the same curiosity and wonder that shaped her childhood, Ilse invites viewers to look with her. Not to see better, but to see differently: with open eyes and a deep respect for the natural world.