Design Driven Photography
Gerhard Illig studied Communication Design in Würzburg. As an Art Director, he has worked for several global players like McCann Erickson, Tessloff Publishing and Publicis as well as for local operating companies.
He got his first camera as a 9-year-old boy. At age 13, he bought his first reflex camera. Since then, a camera was always next to him – essential as a design student. In his years as an Art Director, he was responsible for several large shootings. He toured with international photographers and gained a lot of knowledge.
In 2005, he decided to run his own business as a strategic designer for corporate and advertising tasks. Since then he didn’t consider himself a photographer. However, an increasing number of clients asked for photography besides his design and consultancy skills. So he took the chance and got more and more into it.
Furthermore, he was teaching Design and Typography at the FAU in Erlangen.
His work is well recognized and won awards like Graphis Poster Annual Gold and Silver, Graphis Photography Annual Gold and Silver, amongst others.
Portrait Photo: Thanks to © Ulli Fischer, Villach, Austria
Picturing habitats
Picturing habitats means to indulge and respectfully admire the language of buildings and the beauty of nature.
Ever since he was young Gerhard Illig has been fascinated by architecture. Growing up in the 60s, construction sites could be found everywhere. After coming home from a weekend trip with his family, he would always re-create the buildings he had seen with legos in his room. The state of the art in both the technology and architecture at the time was infectious.

Habitat, Tipi Village in Browning, Montana
Simultaneously, even as a boy, he has always been shocked by the destruction of nature through deforestation and reducing green spaces in order to make room for new construction sites. He has always been wondering how far this could go and if there shouldn’t be a limit to creating concrete jungles.
Gerhard Illig has been interested in taking pictures of habitats for several years now. In this he mainly focuses on architecture – habitats that have been created purposefully and creatively to be lived or worked in. Architecture in itself is always a mirror of its time. It can create inspiring places, however, it can also feel destructive and hostile to life.
Personally, he is equally interested in the diversity and energy of nature – habitats that mean life for plants and animals.
Especially interesting are those areas where human and natural interaction collides. Areas where humans leave their traces and areas where nature takes its territory back. Areas where mankind (re)creates nature.





“The smaller the world is growing around us, the more we have to look at our planet as one habitat for everyone. There is nowhere to escape!”
Gerhard Illig has been working with clients from the construction industry for more than 15 years now and ever since he has been observing how multilayered their requirements are and what kind of changes they are subject to. Key terms that arise are urbanization, sustainability and demographic change. “We’re living in exciting and vibrant times.”
His main is to understand and fully dedicate himself to the topics required by his clients and consequently immerge in the locations and habitats. Only then can he start to interpret their essence photographically.
Grossstadtoasen
Since 2018 Gerhard Illig is assigned by the City Council of Nuremberg to take pictures of parks and green areas in Nuremberg. In November 2019 the photographs were shown to the public at the exhibition “Großstadt-Oasen”. A calendar and postcards were released accordingly.

Großstadtoasen Nuremberg, Schweinauer Buck
Recent Projects
Kalendar 2022 “Grossstadtoasen”
After the 2020, 2021 and 2022 calendars were quite successful so that a second edition had to be printed, the new calendar for 2023 is happily released now. Additional to the images of the exhibition shown at the Open Office of the City Council of Nuremberg in November 2019, there are many new shots in the calendar – mostly taken in the western quarters.

Story telling tourism marketing
Gerhard Illig is currently photographing a series of hosts in rural areas for his client OBS Online Buchung Services in Regensburg. He shoots credible people in a most authentic look.

A Group Picture in pandemic times
How to create a group picture in times of covid-19? By photographing all members individually – and then composing the group photo. It is essential to plan out the composition thoroughly in advance, as done for the ‚Prio auf Bio‘ brochure for the organic city of Nuremberg.

Recycling of Lime Sand bricks
Because raw materials for the construction industry run short, the need to recycle becomes increasingly urgend. The lime sand brick Industrie is facing the situation – I luckily follow with my camera.

Show your Factory from above
For representing purposes drone images of your factory are an appropriate tool.

Online Booking Services OBS Not only Cares for hosts but recently also for Adventure Companies
Gerhard Illig went for a testimonial shooting to the SANShine-Camp at Brombachsee. The whole Team obviously had fun.




POrtrait of a Singer-songwriter
Manfred Rehm is a singer-songwriter based at Altmühl Valley. His Songs mirror his personality: straight forward, with strong roots in his native soil, indigenous, socially commited. For the shooting he took me to his favorite places – places for thinking things over, dreaming, writing songs…



Made it to the front page
Sometimes you make it to the cover by accident. This particular image was made for no special reason. It was kind of a sideshot when I was shooting hosts. So I am very happy that this shot was selected as the cover image for the Hosts Catalogue 2021. By the way: It is pretty much worth to look at the catalogue: There are great hosts at the Bavarian Forest. https://prospekte.ostbayern-tourismus.de/gastgeb…/65076704

Fine Art Prints Available

On request many of my images are available as fine art prints, mostly limited to 10 pieces. The options are:
_ FineArt Print (Hahnemühle PhotoRag smooth 308 gr.)
_ Foto on Alu Dibond_ Foto in Solid Wood Artbox, Natural Maple
_ Foto im Floater Frame
Price example: Foto in Artbox, Natural Maple
3 Images (Triptychon) á 40 x 50 cm = 800,- €
Single image 300,- €
plus shipping
Just send me a mail: gerhard.illig@gerhardillig.de