"The portrait. It is more than just a brief glimpse of a person. It can be the reflection of the soul; a soft centre in a hard shell; the hidden child inside a man, a strong will or simply a visualisation of competence in the eye of the beholder."

Karl Michalski is renowned for his sensitive business portraits. He has been a freelance photographer for 20 years and shoots using the latest digital equipment. Karl's secret is his on location work: It is only on location, submersed in the natural surroundings of his projects, that the most beautiful and natural atmosphere can be achieved.

Adsy Bernart is a highly versatile multi-talented photographer with international experience and skills across a range of photographic genres. He shoots architecture, HDRi, interiors and exteriors, portraiture, still life, food and drink, and also has experience in compositing and post production.

Adsy offers a professional yet highly unique photographic point of view. Clients regularly trust him to create and deliver even the most abstract visual themes.

His clients include advertising agencies and international newspapers and magazines. Adsy publishes in many European countries as well as in the USA, Japan and Australia. He also teaches photography at the Federal Graphic Institution of Higher Learning, Vienna.

Irene Schaur is a Viennese photographer specialising in celebrity and nude photography. Her images are renowned for their provocative sex appeal, and as a woman who photographs almost exclusively other women, she always maintains a strong rapport with her models.

The tension in her work is seen at its best in the images commissioned by German Playboy, as well as in her own personal work where creativity and eroticism combine to sizzling effect.

Irene began taking photographs as a teenager and today it remains her strongest passion. When not photographing scantily clad ladies, Irene turns her talents to portraiture. "A good portrait must tell a story,“ she says. Irene has photographed many celebrities both in Austria and Germany.

Andreas H. Bitesnich works around the globe in a wide variety of genres, including portraiture, advertising, editorial, travel and fine art. He is widely considered one of the leading body photographers in the world.

He is currently working on two new book projects to add to the six he has already published. Andreas has also exhibited in galleries and museums around the world and teaches a photography workshop every summer.

Advertising clients include: Falke, Mercedes, Jägermeister, Henkel, Guitay, Samsung, Bulthaup, Palmers, Hansgrohe, Silhouette, Aidshilfe, Nikos, Montblanc, Superga, Krups, Vodafone and Braun.

Editorial clients include: GQ Magazine, Quest Magazine, Stern Magazine, Playboy Magazine, Max Magazine, Flair Magazine and Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin.

When it comes to a photo shoot where that very special effect is needed, fashion and beauty photographer Susanne Stemmer will not hesitate to pull over her neoprene, breathe compressed air and spend the day at the bottom of a pool. Specialising in underwater photography, Susanne works with an experienced team to provide expert knowledge when it comes to taking perfect underwater pictures. Her amazing work is featured in this beauty editorial for First magazine.

Clients around the world appreciate her unique style and approach to lighting - both above and below the waterline. Susanne loves playing with contrasts and often places her models in unexpected environments, like in this featured editorial for Wienerin.

Visit her website for more information.

Martina Gaa has been working in photography, film and stage for over 15 years. Her time spent in a deco department and as a booker for a casting agency has undoubtedly helped her along the way to a successful career in hair, make-up and styling.

Her work ranges from very natural to expressive, strong and unique. Martina considers her job as meeting numerous demands all in one go: that of the client, the photographer, and of course, the message behind the photo to which her make-up and styling should contribute.

Her flexibility and patience make Martina an asset on any production. Visit her website for more information.

Welcome to the debut issue of Showcase Vienna, brought to you by Production Paradise. We present the very best of the Austrian capital's visual media industry, with much more information available in our dedicated Photo and Film directories.

Vienna, the city of Sigmund Freud and coffee & cake, has successfully blended traditional culture with an ambitious modern pulse to form a vibrant city filled with endless production possibilities.

With its breathtaking natural assets Austria has long-been an attractive proposition for the creative industries, but as Hollywood has duly noted over recent years, Vienna is increasingly becoming a number-one destination for international productions.

Our cover image was shot by Susanne Stemmer for Diva Magazine.

Christian Stangl has a unique vision that combines unconventional creativity with visual diversity and efficient production. His obsession for the strange and sinister side of life shows surprising results.

He focuses on photography, branding, motion and graphic design. Born in 1978 in Lower Austria, he has lived in Vienna for 10 years. Christian has been researching and developing professional motion design on many projects for Austrian National Television (ORF) since 1996. The award-winning artist has worked with directors, producers, editors, programmers, agencies, culture departments and composers.

Visit his website or contact him directly on +43 676 4934190 for further information.

After finishing his schooling in interior design, Oliver Topf joined the Austrian military. Discovering he is a lover and not a fighter, he began his photography career as assistant to a number of international photographers including Mario Schmolka, Marcel Gonzalez Ortiz and Oliver Gast.

After six years working in Europe, the USA and Africa for clients such as Vogue Germany, GQ, Triumph Lingerie, Swarovski and Red Bull, Oliver began his solo career in 2007. He currently lives and works in Vienna.

Visit his website for more information.

Photo-Graphics is known as a young and creative advertising photography studio based in Linz, the capital city of upper Austria. The company works in the fields of high-end photography and post production.

Concentrating mainly on interiors, architecture, products and people photography, the company also specialises in 3D and 360° photography and retouching, including rotary products and clothes as well as animated panoramas of landscapes and interior architecture.

More pictures, examples, info and contact details are available on the website.