When most homeowners purchase a property, they typically renovate the house first and tackle the garden later. But for Sabrena and Jonathan Fieber, this conventional approach didn't make sense. "We're much better at digging than plastering," says Jonathan Fieber, explaining why they prioritized their garden over interior renovations. "Besides, the garden is a matter of the heart for both of us."
Behind their house on the main road through Oberschelden, which the couple purchased seven years ago, now stretches an oasis of biodiversity. Visitors seeking perfectly manicured lawns, straight edges, right angles, or stylish gravel arrangements won't find what they're looking for here. But that's not what the Fiebers are aiming for anyway.
Their garden serves primarily as a living habitat - not just for themselves and their four-year-old son, but especially for a diverse collection of insects, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Wherever you go in the space, something is always crawling, creeping, or flying around. This abundance of life is no accident. While the garden may appear wild at first glance, it has been thoughtfully designed with purpose.
Every element serves a specific function in supporting wildlife. The pile of old branches isn't simply left behind from yard work - it's deliberately placed habitat for mice, hedgehogs, and toads. The small pond didn't take more than two weeks to attract its first newt larvae. The stones arranged in the sunny spot at the forest edge provide shelter for grass snakes and lizards. The list of these intentional habitat features continues throughout the property.
With these numerous small ecosystems, the Fiebers haven't just given a gift to nature - they've also benefited themselves tremendously. Jonathan, in particular, profits enormously from this setup. He has devoted himself to nature photography for about twenty years, and the hobby has gradually become part of his profession. Their own garden has become his most important photography location.
While other nature photographers travel to African savannas with telephoto lenses to chase the Big Five, or head to Florida to photograph water birds extensively, the 42-year-old finds his subjects right outside his basement door. Almost no phone call that the freelance graphic designer takes from his desk passes without his gaze wandering outside, and hardly a day goes by when he doesn't take an exploratory tour through his piece of tamed wilderness.
The garden provides him with an incredible amount to observe and photograph. Some days, a kingfisher fishes at the small wetland biotope, wild perennials attract countless butterflies, and dormice live in the cavities of old trees. "I'm amazed myself at how quickly such great biodiversity has developed," says Jonathan Fieber. "I didn't expect that."
This surprise is particularly notable given that his childhood home in Hahnhof near Niederfischbach was also surrounded by life-friendly wilderness with countless niches that he used for telephoto photography. Later, when he lived in an apartment directly on the Asdorf river, he searched for and found subjects right outside his front door. But he has only truly realized his dream of having his own photography territory now.
In this wild garden, he can start countless projects. He can go on expeditions with his digital camera, install remote-controlled cameras and leave them without worry, create artificial tree cavities, and photograph the breeding activities of starlings. The possibilities for creative photography projects seem endless in this carefully crafted natural space.
Fieber is sharing this wealth of experience through his first book, published by dpunkt.verlag and titled "Nature Photography in the Garden." The title perfectly captures the book's focus. Across more than 200 pages filled with numerous photographs, he provides practical tips on two main topics: how to design your own garden to attract photogenic subjects, and how to aesthetically capture these subjects on camera.
The book covers garden design, photography techniques, and digital workflow in image processing, but its centerpiece consists of nearly 30 detailed workshops. In these sections, the photographer explains how to artistically showcase the microcosm of mushrooms, how to immortalize a dew-covered spider web as a graphic artwork, and how to successfully portrait a hedgehog during its nighttime wanderings.
The primary audience consists of ambitious hobby photographers - many of the projects require basic knowledge and a system or SLR camera. However, the book also provides valuable tips for readers who want to design their gardens in an environmentally friendly way and then create at least documentary photos with their smartphones.
The initial feedback from readers demonstrates that the concept can be successfully transferred to other gardens. "I've already received several emails from readers reporting that they've created some biotopes in their gardens and have already taken many photos there," Fieber notes. This positive response validates his approach of combining ecological garden design with accessible photography instruction.
The book is available in specialty bookstores and can also be ordered through the author's homepage at www.igreen.de. For those interested in transforming their own outdoor spaces into both wildlife habitats and photography studios, Fieber's comprehensive guide offers a practical roadmap for success.
