About us
We are in our late 30s, based in the picturesque town Chiavenna, in Italy, and are currently living a life that could be described best as a "long-term traveller".
Until recently, we lived a normal life with the usual office routine. However, with the years passing by, we noticed that we couldn't go on like this. Different jobs and new challenges in the old environment just didn't make us happy any longer. The monotony of everyday work was getting on our nerves. Vacation always was too short and we often dreamed of escaping the hamster wheel.
So we decided at the end of 2021 to sell our property in Germany. We moved to a small, largely unknown, Italian village surrounded by high mountain ranges and lots of fresh air. Since then we have been traveling a lot and realizing one or the other photography project.
We have currently taken a little break from traveling and produced our first own film. From April 2024 we will be traveling in South America again
PS Check out our blog regularly to stay tuned
Michael Marquardt
I was born in Baden-Württemberg, where I have spent a large part of my life so far. As a teenager, I was already one of those “driven people” who took their photo or video camera with them to every occasion. I never became a professional Photographer. As it is sometimes the case, I ended up with my professional job in an area that was as far away as possible from my passion.
So after my International Finance studies in Germany and Switzerland, I worked in Management Consulting for a couple of years and until recently in various positions in a large german corporation.
At no point in time I did stop dealing with photography. I was fortunate enough to travel a lot when I was young. I was able to get to know exciting countries and people, which are a great inspiration for my pictures.
My
Passion
Travel
Why am I traveling? I have an endless longing to see the special places in this world with my own eyes and, above all, to get them in front of my camera lens.
For me, traveling was not just a way of compensating for the stressful everyday working life, but rather an opportunity to get to know other regions, other people, other cultures and other pleasures. It expands my consciousness and breaks down prejudices. It always makes me aware of how diverse life can be.
You never know exactly what the next day will bring - that makes up a large part of the fascination!
People
People are the most exciting motif you can imagine - everyone has their own story. The aim of portrait photography is to capture excerpts from these stories in an expressive portrait.
How do you manage to capture personality in pictures, or at least create the illusion of it? Challenges that I regularly face in order to get impressive portraits. Lighting, staging and image design are the supporting pillars on which my photo shoots are built.
I grew up in a small village called Rohrenfels in Bavaria. After graduating from high school, I wanted to leave home and studied in France. Since 2009 I have lived with Micha in Baden-Württemberg .
I've always loved traveling ... new impressions, new people. Together with Micha, I have developed a shared passion to explore special places. We have trained our fitness and learned new techniques to keep pushing our limits :-)
I love painting. As a child I already painted on paper, silk scarves, walls etc. and I still paint regularly today. For reasons of space, I limit myself to sketchbooks and pencils when we are on the road.
Marion Marquardt
My Passion
Travel Planning
I am the one of us who likes to plan and organize. In my previous job as an IT project manager, I had a lot of fun doing so.
No matter if travel routes, tours and other projects, I do the planning. Of course, topics such as insurance, ferry connections, etc. are also included. I don't mind talking on the phone either - I like being in contact with people.
However, I don't plan everything down to the last detail; there has to be a certain space for freedom and spontaneity - „Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"
For me, the focus is on the adventure itself. I Enjoying the experiences outside with wild animals, the encounters with people and the tranquility of nature.
Ambassador Valchiavenna
Since we have had our apartment in Chiavenna, we have discovered plenty of things there. I am still totally enthusiastic about this diverse and authentic area in Italy.
Since 2020 there is "Love Valchiavenna" - a website on which I present the region and a related Instagram channel alias love_valchiavenna. My Project is very well appreciated by the locals and is also supported by the local tourism association.
For me it is a way to give back to Valchiavenna what it gives to me! And that's why it has now become our new home.