Oliver Topf progressed from an assistant to become the master in only six years. Learning from the best, he began assisting top photographers in 2001, working for clients like Swarovski, Triumph Lingerie, GQ, Vogue, and Red Bull.

In 2007, he started his solo career and now shoots internationally for magazines such as Salon, Elle Germany, Madame, Madonna Magazine, GQ, Peng!, Vienna Live, Active Beauty, Viennese, Presse Schaufenster, TV Media, Woman and top commercial clients such as L'Oréal, Pfizer, Universal Music, British American Tobacco, and Austrian Airlines.

A number of Austrian companies count on Oliver for their national and international campaigns, including Gössl Trachten, Stadt Wien, Salzburger Festspiele, Servus TV, Profil Magazin, and Technoball.

Oliver's clients appreciate his professionalism, reliability, creativity and afinity for their target groups. He has a good eye, creates and recognizes moments early enough to push the trigger at the right moment, and produces images that emotionally transport a brand's message.

digitalkameraverleih has added the Panasonic GH5/GH5s and Sony Alpha 7R III and 7 III to its line-up. The compact battery generator Elinchrom ELB 500 is also new - it is the first Elinchrom flash that supports TTL-metering and High Speed Sync (HSS).

Upcoming products include the Profoto B10 AirTTL and the latest mirrorless offerings from Canon and Nikon, the EOS R and Z7, respectively.

Visit the website for more information.

René van Bakel has been a passionate storytelling photographer since the very start of his professional career some 20 years ago. He has worked in more than 70 countries and his images have been published in major global media outlets like National Geographic, The New York Times, Le Figaro, Vogue, and many more.

René also produces commercial and editorial assignments. His vast experience enables him to help clients visualise their story to best show the audience what matters; the company or publication itself.

His specialities include portraits, architecture, hotel and hospitality, food, product, travel, art, culture, lifestyle and car photography.

Clients include Superfund, Vapiano, ÖBB, AIT, Ö-Post AG, Agrana, Magna Steyr, FFG, BMVIT, Rolex, Austrian Airlines, Spanish Riding School Vienna, TNT, DHL, NÖM, ÖBF, Merkur, Stiegl, Gösser, Nike, VDL Group and Philips Medical Systems.

Production Pool / Pool Films is a full service production company specialised in film and photo production. With bases in Zurich, Vienna, Berlin, Cape Town and the Alps, Production Pool offers a great range of service production and locations.

Recent productions include:

• H&M service production. Photographer: Sean Thomas. DOP: Franklin Stanley.
• Valiant Bank campaign. Photographer: Per Kasch.
• Globus X-Mas campaign. Photographer: Markus Pritzi. DOP: Marc Asekhame.
• Zalando campaign. Photographer: Joseph Kadow.
• Schweiz Tourismus TVC. Director/DOP: Thomas Dirnhofer. Photographer: Bruno Augsburger.

Other clients include brands such as BMW, Bogner, Coca-Cola, Coop, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Elle, H&M, Heineken, IWC, Joop, Migros, Orange, S.Oliver, Swisscom and Vogue as well as photographers and directors such as Boo George, Craig McDean, Daniel Börjesson, Frederike Helwig, Jonas Unger, Marcel Hartmann, Mariano Vivanco, Mario Testino, Markus Jans, Matt Jones, Mikael Jansson, Per Kasch, Sam Robinson, Sean Thomas, Tom Dirnhofer, and many others.

Visit the website for further information.

“To take photos of landscapes in their unrivalled, yet ephemeral beauty has led me to travel the world. To grasp the overwhelming beauty of our planet, capture moving moments and carry out the detailed work it takes to create the perfect picture - this is what mesmerizes me every day anew!"

Michael Hochfellner's work clearly reflects his education and a deep passion to hone his skills. His images have received substantial echo in a variety of international magazines, while his love of perfectionism makes his photography truly unique.

From his Aurora Studios he produces fascinating pictures of planet Earth using a brilliant printing technique; Michael applies ChromaLux printing technology to immerse the viewer in the pictorial space, allowing them to lose themselves in the vastness of the scene.

ChromaLux has made his studio - also an event space and site for workshops - one of the largest and most modern photographic studios in Austria.

Mona Lorenz runs a studio specialising in food, still and lifestyle based in Upper Austria. The last 20 years have turned her into a recognised photographer. She works in her studio, but is also happy to shoot on location. Mona cooperates with a freelance team of stylists. Her studio has a fully equipped kitchen and a large, well-sorted stock of props.

Mona has been working on a variety of advertising, packaging and editorial projects such as Wiberg, Gmundner Keramik, Spitz Austria, Dr. Oetker Österreich, Unimarkt, Blaschke and recently new products for Efko and Selmarina.

One of the most important things for her is to create pictures with a natural touch, "with simple and effective manners." Her clients appreciate precisely this kind of visual language.

Welcome to Showcase Austria, brought to you by Production Paradise. This issue features some of the leading photo and film production companies, photographers, photo agents, photo post-production companies and equipment rentals, working out of Austria.

More creative professionals and facilities for photographic and film production are available in our Vienna Photo and Film directories.

Brands and publications, including Oysho, Austrian Airlines, Wallpaper Magazine, Caritas, Stadt Wien, LIWEST, Traser, Globus, Birkenstock, HERE Magazine, and Merrell, among others, have trusted these professionals with their latest advertising campaigns and editorial shoots.

Be sure to catch our recommended events:

• World Press Photo 2018 - until 21st October at Westlicht, Vienna. 
• The ORF Long Night of Museums 2018. Around 700 museums and galleries all across Austria open on October 6th from 6 pm to 1 am. 
• Camera Austria International. Laboratory for Photography and Theory. An exhibition exploring Camera Austria's influence on Austrian photography. From 24th November to 3rd March 2019 at Museum der Moderne Salzburg. 

Our cover image was shot by Joachim Haslinger. 

Stefan Csáky is a Vienna-based photographer specialised in portrait, people and sports photography.

His pictures are rarely made by coincidence, as he is always looking for the right location, time and light to set his protagonists into scene. With over 20 years' experience in the photography business, Stefan knows how to get the most out of portraits and action shots while being able to recognise his clients' needs.

His portfolio includes work for clients such as Coca-Cola, HP, Schwedenbomben, Erstebank, Forstinger and Boards & More.

"Photography is more than just pressing the shutter and taking a picture. It's the art of capturing the nature of a person, their true self."

With his photography, Maximilian seeks to create an authentic visual expression of the people behind his lens, away from traditional studio settings and generic backdrops and sometimes even without hours of editing.

As an advocate of analogue photography, Max understands that taking great pictures takes time. Time to get to know the people or business behind an inquiry and to brainstorm ideas over a cup of coffee or a pint.

Karin Zumann Photographers Agency also provides full production services for advertising, outdoor, sports, people, still life, reportage, interior and short clips.

Services include casting, crews, location scouting, post-production and everything in between.

Recent clients include Coca-Cola, Bank Austria, BMW, Ruby, Andy Wolf, Aldi, Nivea, PAGO, Wr. Städtische, ÖBB, Raiffeisen Bank, EVN, LIWEST, Monocle, Here Magazine, Billa, Leyrer+Graf and many more.

All the latest news can be found on the agency's website, blog and in the portfolios of its photographers. Follow the agency on Instagram and Facebook.