NORBERT BLANK

Photographer, videographer, filmmaker, visuell storytelling

 

works in:

outdoor - nature - people 
sports - products - travel
fashion - business
automotive - classic cars
story telling - multimedia
social responsibility - books

 

 

Norbert Blank has taken the plunge successfully from a permanent employee as mechanical engineer into the independence more than twenty years ago:

In a for him totally new, highly competitive occupational field: Professional photography, film productions and worldwide guided kayak adventure trips.

His award-winning visual live shows, his fascinating images and spectacular reports - also from crisis areas of our world - tell us about unique moments, the people and the beauty of our planet.

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, book author, kayak and kitesurf instructor, outdoor education teacher, sport enthusiast 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

  • πŸ“Έ Photographer and filmmaker
  • πŸ›Ά Offers worldwide kayaking experiences
  • 🧭 Entrepreneur and sportsman
  • πŸ’» Graduate engineer in mechanical engineering (TU Munich)
  • 🎀 Bookauthor and storyteller
  • πŸ§—πŸΌ‍β™‚οΈβ›·πŸ„‍β™‚πŸš΄πŸΌπŸŠ‍β™€β›ΉπŸ½πŸ“πŸ₯‹β›΅ Certified kitesurf- and kayak-instructor (VDWS and BVKanu), adventure educator and outdoor trainer (Outward Bound Germany), high ropes course trainer (Faszinatour), scuba diver (Padi), outdoor professional, freeskier, sailing skipper
  • And father of the most wonderful daughter and sportsmodel. You will find Emilia here in some action- and sports-photos :-)
  • Together with Emilia we are working in development, prototyping and testing of our innovative sustainable wooden kitesurf-boards since 2024: www.alaia-boards.com
  • The Technical University of Munich / the Makerspace supports us with the [x]-Innovator membership / scholarship for our Alaia-Kite startup: www.makerspace.com

 

more information about me and my work you will find on:

 
 
my most important jobs, photo shootings, awards, movies, adventures and events:
 
 
2025
  • The vision is to live as sooon as possible on my sailboat and explore all the oceans of our blue planet :-)
2024
  • Makerspace Munich Germany / Greece / Italy: Development, prototyping and testing of our innovative sustainable wooden kitesurf-boards: www.alaia-boards.com
  • Albania / Greece / Ecaudor: Three month kajak-adventures, sailing, mountainiering, hiking, photoshooting and filming for EXPED
2023
  • Technical University of Munich: The Makerspace supports us with the [x]-Innovator membership / scholarship for our startup Alaia-Kite-Boards: www.makerspace.com
  • Germany: Founding the startup: www.alaia-boards.com
  • South Africa: Fotoshooting for EXPED
  • Austria / Switzerland / France: Winter Fotoshooting for EXPED
  • Greece and Atlantic Ocean: Getting some sailing experience
In 2023: For climate protection and sustainability, I sold all my motorized vehicles (motorbike, car, expedition truck). From now on we are traveling with low emissions by sailing boat, public transport and bicycle (ok,... sometimes we fly, sorry !!!).
We now also offer our seakayak adventures from a sailboat to portect our earth and its people. We have also removed our longdistance whitewater kayak destinations and tours such as Chile, New Zealand and Dubai from the program - in order to minimize flights.
 
2022
  • Germany: Publication of the new book: "The world of kayak"
  • Greece: Finishing sailing license / scipper diploma for offshore yachting
  • Germany: Starting shaping and developing classic wooden Alaia-Kite-Boards
  • France: Freesking in La Grave  
2021
  • Greece:  We start with our first environmentally friendly and sustainable "Sailing & Seakayak" Kayak-Tour on Ionian Islands
  • Germany: Publication of the new edition of my book: "Kanu Bayern"
  • Switzerland: Design of the "CrestaClassics" cars website, living and freesking in Swiss alps during Pandemie winter
  • Hamburg: Video journalism training at „Akademie für Publizistik“
  • Munich: Documentary film training at „Münchner Filmwerkstatt“
  • Finishing my "LinkedIn" account 
  • Many Fotoshootings :-)
2020
  • Germany: working for NGO "CHILDREN for a better World e.V." in photography
  • France La Grave: freeski and expedition equipment photoshootings
  • Greece: sea kayak adventure
  • Switzerland: oldtimer car photo shootings
  • Europe: Corona lockdown with a lot of outdoor sports, slackline, mountainbike, sup, kitesurf and kayak training
2019
  • Germany: working for NGO "CHILDREN for a better World e.V." in photography
  • France La Grave: freeski and expedition equipment photo shootings
  • Germany: publication of the new book: "Rauszeit" - best 400 outdoor adventures all over the world
  • Greece: sea kayak adventure
  • Graduation: VDWS-YI Kite Management
  • Graduation: VDWS-TI Kite Supervising Instructor
2018
  • Germany: working for NGO "CHILDREN for a better World e.V." in photography
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
  • Nepal: whitewater kayak adventure
  • Croatia: fotoshooting "NAISH" Kiteboarding opinionleader "Emilia Moises"
  • Switzerland: celebrating Norbert Blank ten years brand ambassador of "EXPED"  
  • Alps: backcountry freeski adventure "La Grave Sedrun Alagna Dolomits"
2017
  • Germany: working for NGO "CHILDREN for a better World e.V." in Photography
  • Brazil: kitesurf safari
  • USA Grand Canyon: 12 days whitewater kayak trip
  • Graduating VDWS-KI Kitesurf Instructor 
  • Germany: Publication of the new book: "Wohnmobil Highlights der Welt"
  • Ecuador: photoshooting "AMAZONAS" hammoks
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure 
  • Greece: sea and whitewater kayak adventure
2016
  • Marocco: whitewater kayak adventure 
  • Greece: sea and whitewater kayak adventure
  • Ecuador: photo shooting tropical kayak calendar
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2015    
  • USA Grand Canyon: 12 days whitewater kayak trip
  • Kyrgyzstan: movie production ski adventure "Horse Powder"
  • Kyrgyzstan: photoshooting ski equipment and ski fashion
  • Greece: sea and whitewater kayak adventure
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2014
  • Southern Europe: three month exploring kajak and kitesurf spots
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2013
  • My company ecuador-kajak.com is expanding: we now offer worldwide whitewater- and seakayak destinations: www.global-kayak.com
  • Germany: my book "Kanu Bayern" turns up in 3. edition
  • Colombia: whitewater kayak adventure 
  • Germany: Appointment as a instructor of the canoe instructors in the teaching and training team of "BVKanu" (formerly "VDKS")
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2012:
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
  • Italy: I start kitesurfing
2011
  • Himalaya India / Nepal: photoshooting "Exped" catalogue
  • Germany: our intercultural creative office moves to new location "Neues Atelier", D-Bamberg
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2010
  • Italy, Sardinia, Selvaggio Blu: photoshooting "Exped" catalogue
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2009
  • Ecuador: photo shooting "Exped" catalogue in the Amazon rainforest
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
  • Germany: "Sparkasse Bamberg": photo shooting buisness report
  • Germany: my book "Kanu Bayern" turns up in 2. edition
2008
  • Germany: "Sparkasse Bamberg": photo shooting buisness report
  • Sweden: "Volkswagen Driving Experience" - "Ice drive" on frozen lakes with race legend "Hans-Joachim Stuck"
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2007
  • Turkey, Iran, Emirates, Oman, Saudiarabia, Jordan, Syria: Outstanding photo reportage "Nine month through Arabia and Persia" in a historic truck with my 6 year old daughter
  • Germany: online publication of "Steiner Nature College" on a new website
2006
  • Russia, China, Mongolia, Tibet: "Volkswagen Driving Experience" three month SUV Touareg tour from Wolfsburg via Beijing, Moskau, Ulanbator, Bejing to Lhasa
  • Ecuador: managing sponsoring project "Steiner Nature College"
  • Ecuador: photoshooting nature and birdwatching "Steiner Binoculars"
  • All over Europe: photoshooting youth welfare calendar for NGO "Life"
  • Germany: Modification of a historic Mercedes 1113B into a 4*4 expedition truck 
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2005
  • Germany: Publication of my two new books: "Kanu Basic" and "Kanu Bayern"
  • Ecuador: photoshooting nature and birdwatching "Steiner Binoculars"
  • Ecuador: managing sponsoring project "Steiner Nature College"
  • Kyrgyzstan and Europe: photoshooting youth welfare calendar for NGO "Life"
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2004
  • Ecuador: photo shooting nature and birdwatching "Steiner Binoculars"
  • Ecuador: managing sponsoring project "Steiner Nature College"
  • Europe: photoshooting youth welfare calendar for NGO "Life"
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2003
  • Graduation in "Experiential education, outdoor trainer and adventure educator: "ZAB" at "Outward Bound",
  • Germany, Austria: Working as a freelance trainer and consultant (outdoor and indoor)
  • Germany: "National Geographic" Magazine: Kayaking Ecuador award in "50 best adventures worldwide"
  • Europe: photoshooting youth welfare calendar for NGO "Life"
  • Ecuador: Yasuni Nationalpark: photo shooting for "Steiner Binoculars"
  • Marocco: all winter outdoor adventure with family and kids in northern africa
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2002
  • Greece: living a winter with family in Greece
  • "Festival Horizonte": I startup the new multi media travel festival
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2001
  • Dominican Republic: kayak and outdoor adventures, living a winter with family in the carribean
  • Germany: "Jacobs Maxwell": online publication of "Maxwell Outdoor Trip Collector"
  • Caribbean: whitewater kayak expedition "Hispaniola"
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak adventure
2000
  • Ecuador: whitewater kayak expedition "Amazonas"
  • Germany, Austria: photoshootings for "Maxwell Outdoor Trip Collector"
  • Foundation of Ecuador-Kajak: Norbert Blank is owner, manager and headguide of the company www.ecuador-kajak.com
1999
  • Germany: Founding the intercultural creative office "Atelier Brennerstrasse" in Bamberg
  • Norbert Blank starts working as a freelancer in photography and photo journalism: www.bilder-botschaften.de
  • Germany: photoshootings for and publication of my first book: "Fränkische i-Tüpfäla"
  • "El Mundo" Festival Austria: best adventure award for my live multimedia reportage "Ein Jahr-Drei Räder" www.elmundo-festival.at
1998
  • Ghana: traveling with backpack in the heart of Afrika
1996 - 1998
  • Working as an engineer in the technical development of "Audi AG" Ingolstadt
1996
  • Graduation "VDKS / BVKanu" whitewater kayak instructor 
1995
  • Latin America: Pure adventure: one year riding on a motorbike with sidecar crossing the continent: from Mexiko to Fireland (Chile / Argentina)
1991 - 1994
  • Working as an engineer in the technical development of "Audi AG"
1990
  • Algeria: two month long crossing sahara desert on a motorbike
1988
  • Yugoslawia Greece Turkey: two month on road with an classic 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 Latinamerica: lots of backpacking
1980
  • Starts whitewater kayaking
1968
  • Starts skiing
1965
  • born in Bamberg / Germany