NORBERT BLANK
30 years of discovery, experience and passion of visual documentation of life
outdoor - business - people
automotive - sports - nature
fashion - travel - products
live reports - multimedia - movie
social responsibility - cross cultural understanding
Norbert Blank has taken the plunge successfully from a permanent employee as mechanical engineer into the independence more than fifteen years ago: In a for him totally new, highly competitive occupational field: photography, film productions and whitewater kayak.
He has still kept his fascination of the work as an engineer. Due to a lot of challenges and additional qualifications he could develop his personal competencies extensively:
As trainer and consultant, photo journalist, author, kayak and kitesurf instructor, outdoor education teacher and in multimedia while setting up and managing his own business.
In this context worldwide, complex projects gave him the courage, the confidence and the experience to solve complicated problems with creative solutions and successfully complete with partners from different cultures.
my academic studies and trainings
Mechanical engineer (TU Munich)
Kayak instructor and instructor supervisior (BVKanu, VDKS)
Kitesurf instructor, supervisor and station manager (VDWS)
Outdoor trainer and adventure educator (Outward Bound)
Photographer and journalist
Movie maker
Adventurer and traveller
Author and writer
keynote speaker
and father of the most wonderful girl in this world.
my most important jobs, photo shootings, awards, movies, adventures and events:
2020
France / La Grave: freeski and equipment photo shootings
Training: Masterclass Video Journalism at "Berliner Journalisten Schule"
2019
Graduation VDWS-YI Kite Station Management
Graduation VDWS-TI Kite Supervising Instructor
France / La Grave: freeski and equipment photo shootings
Publication of the new book: "Rauszeit" - best 400 outdoor adventures all over the world
2018
Croatia: Fotoshooting NAISH Kiteboarding Emilia Moises
Switzerland: Celebrating Norbert Blank being ten years brand ambassador of "EXPED"
Germany: Working as a Pro bono Photographer for NGO "CHILDREN for a better World e.V."
Alps: Backcountry Freeski Adventure La Grave Graubünden Alagna Dolomiten
2017
Brazil: Kitesurf Safari
USA Grand Canyon: 12 days kayak trip
Publication of the new book: "Wohnmobil Highlights der Welt"
Ecuador: photoshooting "AMAZONAS" hammoks
2016
Marocco: kayak adventure
Greece: sea and whitewater kayak adventure
Ecuador: photo shooting tropical kayak calendar
2015
USA Grand Canyon: 12 days kayak trip
Kyrgyzstan: foto and movie production ski adventure "Horse Powder"
Greece: sea and whitewater kayak
2014
Graduating VDWS-KI KiteSurf Instructor
Southern Europe: three month exploring kajak and kitesurf spots
2013
Colombia: whitewater kayak adventure
Appointment as a instructor of the canoe instructors in the teaching and training team of "BVKanu" (formerly "VDKS") www.bvkanu.de
2012:
My book "Kanu Bayern" turns up in 3. edition
2011
Himalaya: photo shooting "Exped" catalogue
My intercultural creative office moves to a new location "Neues Atelier", D-Bamberg
2010
Selvaggio Blu: photo shooting "Exped" catalogue
2009
Ecuador: photo shooting "Exped" catalogue
Germany: "Sparkasse Bamberg": photo shooting buisness report
My book "Kanu Bayern" turns up in 2. edition
2008
Germany: "Sparkasse Bamberg": photo shooting buisness report
"Volkswagen Experience" Sweden: "Ice drive" on frozen lakes with race legend "Hans-Joachim Stuck"
2007
Photo reportage nine month through Arabia and Persia
2006
Russia, China, Mongolia, Tibet: "Volkswagen Experience" Tour Wolfsburg Beijing Lhasa
Ecuador: managing sponsoring project of "Steiner Binoculars"
Europe: photographie of "Life" youth welfare calendar
Modification of a Mercedes 1113B into a 4*4 expedition truck
2005
Publication of my two new books: "Kanu Basic" and "Kanu Bayern"
Ecuador: photo shooting nature birdwatching "Steiner Binoculars"
Kyrgyzstan Europe: photographie of "Life" youth welfare calendar
2004
Germany: online publication of "Steiner Nature College"
Europe: photographie of "Life" youth welfare calendar
2001 - 2003
Experiential education (outdoor trainer and adventure educator ) "ZAB" at "Outward Bound", active as a freelance trainer and consultant
2003
"National Geographic": Kayaking Ecuador award in "50 best adventures worldwide"
Europe: photographie of "Life" youth welfare calendar
Ecuador: Yasuni Nationalpark: photo shooting for "Steiner Binoculars"
Marocco: during winter outdoor adventure with family and kids in north africa
2002
Greece: living a winter with family in the south
"Festival Horizonte": startup of the new multi media travel festival
2001
Dominican Republic: kayak and outdoor adventures, living a winter with family in the carribean
"Jacobs Maxwell": online publication of "Maxwell Outdoor Trip Collector"
Caribbean: whitewater kayak expedition hispaniola
2000
Ecuador: whitewater kayak expedition amazonas
Foundation of Ecuador-Kajak: Norbert Blank is owner, manager and headguide of the company
1999
Founding the intercultural creative office "Atelier Brennerstrasse"
Starts working as a freelancer in photo journalism: www.bilder-botschaften.de
Publication of my first book:"Fränkische i-Tüpfäla"
"El Mundo" Festival Austria: best adventure award for my live multimedia reportage "Ein Jahr-Drei Räder"
1998
Ghana: traveling in the heart of Afrika
1996 - 1998
Working as an engineer in the technical development of "Audi AG"
1996
Graduation "VDKS / BVKanu" whitewater kayak instructor
1995
Latin America: one year on a motorbike with sidecar crossing the continent
1991 - 1994
Working as an engineer in the technical development of "Audi AG"
1990
Algeria: crossing sahara desert on motorbike
1988
Yugoslawia Greece Turkey: two month on road with an old BMW motorbike
1985 - 1991
"Mechanical engineering" studies at the "Technical University of Munich / TUM"
Graduation as "Diplom Ingenieur" in December 1991
since 1985
Europe Asia Caribbean: lots of backpacking
1980
Starts whitewater kayaking
1968
Starts skiing
1965
born in Bamberg / Germany
