I grew up in southern Germany. Ever since I was a

child I felt familiar to water. At the age of 5 years I learned how to swim. Very soon I began with serious swimming. I used to spend hours and hours in the water without ever losing fun.

Even after my degrees in Physical Education, German literature and Sports management I was devoted to water. I have worked as a swimming coach and team manager for many years.

In my vacations I loved travelling around the world. It was then when I considered the Maldives to be the perfect place for swimming and snorkeling in the Indian Ocean.

Straightaway I was fascinated by this wonderful and exotic underwater world.

I wanted to learn more about this new world, thus I got my diving license in 1986.

I was motivated by the calmness of the sea, I loved floating in an unknown element and I was inspired by impressions I have never had before. I really felt like being on another planet.

In 1989 I took up serious underwater photography, supported by my husband Heinz Schimpke who I met on the Maldives. He was a professional diver and also an excellent underwater photographer and teacher. Together we spent some years working on the Maldives before we returned to Europe where I started with all kinds of nature photography.

Many people don't have the opportunity to dive and get to know the outstanding beauty of the underwater world. My motivation is capturing the impact of the marine world, its grace and uniqueness. Above all, I want to share my pictures with people who are also charmed by the magnificence of nature.

I keep my pictures as natural as possible because nature itself is unique and wonderful. We should always remember that we need to protect and care about our endangered ecosystems.

I will continue to work on my underwater and wildlife photography because I love being out in nature. There is a lot more to discover and explore.

I'm using Nikon equipment. Currently I prefer the my D800 and D7200, primarily in combination with Nikon lenses and a Subal underwater housing.