Photographer Ute Gerhardt

I'm a 49-year-old amateur photographer with a penchant for astro- and macrophotography. The emphasis actually lies on amateur, as I have but one camera and two lenses so far.

I found this snail sitting on the door of my garden shed, and it was simply fascinating to see how it could almost bend into a circle. I like taking macro shots, especially of plants and small animals. It gives me and my kids the opportunity to take a closer look at them without disturbing or hurting them.

I work for an IT company in Dortmund, Germany, and I'm an avid astronomy and space flight fan, as well as a single mother of a daughter (13) and a son (11).

The "Moon & Cloudscape" image was an unexpected late-night snapshot from my balcony. I had actually set up the camera hours before, hoping to catch some lightning images. But the storm they had forecast never came, and I was just getting ready to take my equipment inside again. Then I noticed how the still almost full moon lit the clouds from behind and revealed structures one rarely gets to see in such detail. It was one of those moments when science and beauty become one, and luckily I was ready to capture it.

You can find my blog at https://leavingorbit.wordpress.com/ and my Twitter account at https://twitter.com/Leaving_Orbit. While the former is entirely in German, the latter contains tweets in several European languages. The corresponding Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/LeavingOrbit/

The leaf in that tiny puddle on my patio table caught my eye one afternoon in January. It had an unusual structure, and I liked how it seemed to float in the sky that was mirrored in the table's glass.