Roaring, tranquil, mystical – that’s the variety of the rivers depicted on the new definitive stamps. What you can’t see iswhat exactly went on behind the lens. Photographer Andreas Gerth reveals all. Buckle up – you’re in for an adventure.
Following the appearance of new defini- tive stamps in 2022 due to the increase in face value, the next instalment now fol- lows with the remaining values. The focus is on the many and varied river land- scapes found in all four language regions of Switzerland. They were captured by Andreas Gerth, who in his work as a na- ture photographer is exposed to the vagaries of the weather and sometimes has to tackle some climbing.
A look behind the scenes at the settings: he got lost in the forest to begin with, then the light wasn’t right – not until the third attempt did Gerth find himself in the right place at the right time, in his rubber boots in the middle of the Versoix. Sturdy shoes were also called for on the Kleine Emme: to get the shot, he had to do a little rock climbing. His patience was also tested by the Reuss: long re- search, poor light, and on top of all that, a red canoe that took a good long break near the island in the middle of the river.
While everything went smoothly (for a change) at the Areuse, Gerth’s search for the perfect scene meant that he had to scour all the river crossings in the Lower Engadine valley before sunrise, after a cold night spent in the car. Even earlier, at 2.30 in the morning, he set off to photograph the Breggia, at the southernmost tip of Switzerland, while the sun was not yet shining into the gorge. But it was the Thur that turned out to be the hardest nut to crack: countless changes of plan, thun- derstorms and shooting against the light gave the photographer a rough time of it. But as the saying goes: good things come to those who wait.
