Hello photography lovers! Long time no see, and there are a few things that have changed in my life. I hope you are all doing well and have used the time to gather new impressions and perhaps even take some photos. My everyday life in Baden bei Wien keeps me busy, and the fight against my rheumatoid arthritis is a constant companion, even if it sometimes makes the simplest tasks, like creating content, difficult. But as they say: You have to make the best of every situation!
And I do that by enjoying the beauty of Baden and the incredible art it hosts. Baden is truly beautiful, and I can prove it. Everywhere in the city, you can find photographic gems and fantastic placements of photos. Parks and house walls transform into exhibition spaces. The city is currently hosting the enormous Festival La Gacilly-Baden Photo 2025. The festival, which takes place from June 13 to October 12, 2025, is dedicated to the theme “AUSTRALIA & NEW WORLD”. It is a truly comprehensive art installation that transforms Baden's gardens, streets, and squares into an all-embracing work of art. And the best part: Admission is free.
On my walks through the city and the surrounding parks – similar to how I already explored the exhibitions in Gutenbrunner Park and Doblhoff Park, where works by Joel Meyerowitz and Tamara Dean were on display – I came across the impressive exhibition by Mitch Dobrowner, which deeply moved me. His work, “In the Eye of the Storm,” is part of the “New World” section of the festival. Just before you enter the Gutenbrunner park this exhibition is located at the back of the Badener Kur Zentrum. Or Spa center Baden.
Dobrowner himself says: “I owe much to the great photographers of the past, especially Ansel Adams. The whole of nature is my playground and I respect it. I seek out storms and tornadoes on the American plains”. This statement perfectly encapsulates his philosophy. Where others run from a tornado or hide in their basement, Mitch Dobrowner heads straight for it. He hunts down vortexes, supercells, and other extreme weather phenomena, much like wildlife photographers track birds and mammals. He explains: “They take on so many different aspects, faces and personalities; I’m in awe watching them”.
It is a passion that comes with an element of danger. Dobrowner is aware of the risks involved, but chooses to get as close as he can to the vortexes to further his understanding of these phenomena. He even experienced a hailstorm in Wyoming in 2010, where they were being chased by the storm instead of chasing it. However, this incident did not discourage him; he has continued to track down the nastiest storms and weather conditions for almost two decades. “My job is to get to the right place at the right time, then let nature show itself,” he says.
His systematic use of black and white to accentuate the harshness of the storms stems from his admiration for Ansel Adams, another master of American landscape photography. This approach won him the Iris d’Or at the Sony World Photography Awards in 2012, and Google has honored him for his use of their technology in his weather expeditions. Despite his success, Dobrowner refuses to be labeled a “storm chaser”: “I don’t like to put things in boxes. I’m just a landscape photographer”.
The festival is committed to repeatedly placing the nature that gives us life at the center of the exhibitions. Dobrowner’s works fit perfectly, as they present photographic narratives between beauty, humanistic reflection, anger, and despair. His photographs bear witness to the apocalypse of extreme weather phenomena. They invite reflection on the relationship between humans and the environment, a central theme of the festival.
I tried to use this bike to put it on the road but the perspective is distirbued by the other bikes
The festival spans 7 kilometers and is divided into a garden route and an urban route, showcasing approximately 1,500 large-format photographs by the world's best photographers in public spaces. It is truly amazing to see how the works are presented so prominently, transforming the city into a massive gallery.
Mitch Dobrowner’s “In the Eye of the Storm” is not only an impressive display of raw natural forces but also a thought-provoking homage to the art of landscape photography. It is a must-see for anyone visiting the festival.
Toi help you find this exhibition I put it on worldmappin.com where you can get a code for a location to your hive posts! Check it out!
As always, thank you so much for your attention. Thanks for your votes! And most importantly, thanks for your comments!
Disclaimer: due to my disabilty to type for longer than 2 minutes as my illness makes my fingers feel like broken sticks and it pains me a lot this article has been created with my voice and notebooklm by google. Notebooklm only works with the input sources I give to it. Sources I used:
https://festival-lagacilly-baden.photo/en
https://festival-lagacilly-baden.photo/en/photographers-2025/mitch-dobrowner