www.michelnet.ch - Thomas Michel

About Me

My name is Thomas, and I’m from Switzerland. I grew up near Burgdorf. I work in IT professionally, and it has influenced my home setup significantly. I can control almost everything in my apartment through a Smarthome system based on HomeAssistant. For example, my morning coffee is automatically prepared when the alarm clock rings.

My philosophy is that things should happen automatically, without the need for voice commands or using my mobile phone.

During winter, skiing is a must for me. I’m also involved in sports such as rifle shooting (at 10m, 50m, and 300m distances) and cycling. In the past six months, I’ve discovered a new interest in hiking and walking.

When I have vacation, I enjoy traveling to new places, capturing moments with my camera and drone. Below is a small selection of pictures I’ve taken during my travels.

Contact

Thomas Michel
Einschlagweg 6
4922 Bützberg

Animals

Meerkat sentinels in the Little Karoo at golden hour - George - South Africa

Close-up image of a lemur clinging to a vertical green bamboo stalk. The lemur has thick grey-brown fur, a dark facial mask with a white muzzle, and striking bright orange eyes looking toward the camera.

Close-up of a Bamboo Lemur Clinging to Bamboo - M'lédjélé - Comoros

Robanda - Tanzania

A majestic elephant in a lush savanna - Tanzania

Close-up image of a mountain gorilla lying on its side among green ferns and grasses. The gorilla's dark, textured face fills the frame, with focus on its reflective brown eyes, broad nose, and thick black fur. Soft foreground foliage partially obscures parts of the face, giving a sense of being observed from within the vegetation. The setting is a lush, montane forest.

Close-up of a resting mountain gorilla in Volcanoes National Park - Matyazo - Uganda

A chimpanzee resting on a thick, moss-covered tree branch high in the forest canopy. The animal is lying on its back with one foot and one hand visible, surrounded by green leaves, lianas and epiphytes; dappled sunlight illuminates parts of its face and the surrounding moss.

Resting chimpanzee in mossy canopy - Kayanga - Uganda

Monteverde - Costa Rica

A large adult white rhinoceros stands at the edge of a calm waterhole in a dry, rocky landscape. Small birds are perched on the rhino's back and one flies nearby. The scene is sunlit with pale rocks and sparse vegetation, suggesting an arid savanna waterhole in Namibia (Etosha area).

White rhinoceros at a waterhole in Etosha, Namibia - Namibia

A large adult male African lion standing on a dirt path in bushveld vegetation. The lion faces the camera directly, showing a full dark mane, scarred face and powerful front paws. Green shrubs frame the right side and blurred foliage forms the background, giving context of a dry, natural savanna environment near Kruger National Park, South Africa (approximate coordinates provided).

Regal Male Lion in South African Bushveld - Inkhundla Hlane - Eswatini

Wide close-up of three white rhinos lying and standing on dry sandy ground in a sunlit African savanna. Two rhinos are reclining while a larger adult stands protectively behind them; dry grasses, low shrubs and scattered thorny bushes fill the background under a clear blue sky. The animals' textured grey hides, ears and horns are visible.

Resting White Rhino Trio in Southern African Savanna - Matobo - Zimbabwe

Low-angle close-up of a cheetah lying on a grassy mound with eyes partially closed, surrounded by green grass and small shrubs against a pale blue sky. The animal appears relaxed, showing its spotted coat and rounded ears; scene suggests a savanna location in northern Tanzania.

Resting Cheetah on a Grassy Mound, Northern Tanzania - Robanda - Tanzania

Wide-angle view of an elephant family in a green savanna. Two adult African elephants with long tusks walk side by side with two smaller calves in tall grass. Rolling grasslands and distant hills extend to the horizon beneath a bright blue sky dotted with large white clouds. Photo taken in open African plains (approximate location: Maasai Mara, Kenya).

Elephant family on African savanna - Siana ward - Kenya

Portrait-style photo of a large mountain gorilla (adult male) seated on grassy ground at the forest edge. The gorilla faces slightly to the right, eyes looking contemplative, with thick black fur and a bare chest. Sunlight filters through leaves above, casting patches of light and shadow on the animal and surrounding green ferns and grass.

Resting mountain gorilla in Virunga forest - Matyazo - Uganda

Wide vertical photo looking up into a green tropical tree canopy where two scarlet macaws with bright red, blue and yellow feathers are perched on a diagonal branch. One macaw faces forward while the other leans down; dappled sunlight and blue sky are visible through the leaves. Photo taken in Costa Rica.

Pair of Scarlet Macaws Perched in Tropical Canopy - Tárcoles - Costa Rica

Namibia

A young steenbok antelope seen from behind and slightly to the side, looking back toward the camera. The small antelope has large ears and a light brown coat. It stands among tall dry grasses and green ground plants lit by warm golden-hour sunlight, with backlit grasses creating a glowing background. Approximate location: -25.253271, 27.044279 (South Africa).

Young steenbok in golden grass - Moses Kotane Local - South Africa

Tanzania

A cheetah lying on its back on a grassy mound, surrounded by green grasses and low flowering shrubs, with its mouth wide open and tongue visible as it yawns in warm golden-hour light. The sky is partly cloudy in the background. Photo taken in the Serengeti/Ngorongoro area of Tanzania.

Yawning Cheetah on a Grassy Mound, Serengeti - Robanda - Tanzania

Wide-angle view of four plains zebras standing close together on a sunlit grassy plain in northern Tanzania (coordinates -2.7575558, 34.9618156). Three zebras show their striped rumps toward the camera while one zebra faces forward, alert, with a distant blue horizon and scattered grazing land in the background. Provide scene context for screen readers: a group of wild zebras in a savanna environment, no people present.

Plains Zebras Grazing on Tanzanian Grassland - Robanda - Tanzania

A close-up view for screen readers: a large male African lion with a dark mane lies in tall green grass and opens its mouth in a wide roar, showing large canine teeth and tongue. Flies dot the lion's back; the sunlit savanna grass surrounds the animal. Probable location: Maasai Mara, Kenya.

Roaring Male Lion in Tall Grass, Maasai Mara - Siana ward - Kenya

Kasenyi - Uganda

Close-up view of an adult chimpanzee high in a tropical forest canopy. The chimpanzee faces the camera with a thoughtful expression, one arm extended to grasp a nearby branch. Sunlight filters through surrounding leaves, illuminating the animal's dark fur and the moss-covered tree trunks behind it.

Adult Chimpanzee in the Forest Canopy - Kayanga - Uganda

Botswana

Kangaroo Island Council - Australia

Landscape

Paro Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest) Monastery Clinging to a Cliff, Bhutan - Nyechhu_Shar-ri - Bhutan

A sweeping view of distant mountain ranges at sunset, with soft golden light casting long shadows across multiple ridges and a hazy sky.

Golden Hour Over the Himalayas - Pokhara - Nepal

Gyantse - China

Chengguan - China

Sirmione - Italy

Wide, top-down view into Toorji Ka Jhalra stepwell in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, showing geometric stone staircases and terraces descending to a dark pool of water. Several visitors sit on the steps, and one man crouches near the lower steps with a bucket, washing beside the water. Photo taken in the morning on 21 Dec 2023 near 26.297325, 73.022983.

Toorji Ka Jhalra Stepwell, Jodhpur (Rajasthan) - Jodhpur - India

Dubai - United Arab Emirates

Rotterdam - Netherlands

Lisbon - Portugal

Ancient Mysteries: Stonehenge on a Sunny Day - West Amesbury - United Kingdom

Kandersteg - Switzerland

A tall, jagged basalt rock formation forming a natural arch at the edge of a black sand beach, with a calm sea and distant mountain range under gray clouds; a small seagull is visible near the left edge.

Sea Arch on Iceland's Black Sand Beach - Iceland

Close-up of a large, jagged, transparent crystal or ice shard resting on coarse black sand with small pebbles, showing bright reflective surfaces and deep shadows.

Crystal shard on Icelandic black sand - Iceland

A dramatic aerial view of a volcanic crater with molten lava flows, glowing orange channels on dark, rugged lava, and wisps of smoke rising into a pale blue sky over a barren landscape.

Volcanic Lava Flow in Iceland's Barren Plateau - Iceland

Milan - Italy

Prypiat - Ukraine

Budapest - Hungary

City of Westminster - United Kingdom

Siem Reap - Cambodia

Grand County - United States

Marin County - United States

New York - United States

Toronto - Canada

Melbourne - Australia

Shire Of Ashburton - Australia

Barcelona - Spain

Teton County - United States

Wide landscape view of Punakha Dzong, a large white-and-red Bhutanese fortress monastery with tiered golden roofs, perched beside the Mo Chhu River; green shrubs fill the foreground, a bridge crosses the river to the left, and forested mountains rise under a blue sky with scattered clouds in Punakha, Bhutan.

Punakha Dzong Overlooking the Mo Chhu River, Bhutan - Changyuel Loongsilgang Tashijong - Bhutan

Large white stupa with a golden spire and colorful prayer flags radiating outward from its top, set against a blue sky with scattered clouds; surrounding city buildings and a few visitors at the base.

Boudhanath Stupa with Prayer Flags in Kathmandu - Kathmandu Metropolitan - Nepal

Gyantse - China

Huairou - China

Agra - India

Low-angle view inside Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India: a woman in a red sari and green shawl walks across a broad stone courtyard while birds circle above the massive sandstone fort walls and carved palace façade.

Woman Walking in the Courtyard of Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur - Jodhpur - India

Bern - Switzerland

Romantic Dutch Sunset with Windmills - Molenlanden - Netherlands

Et-taous ⵟⴰⵡⵙ الطاوس - Morocco

Burgdorf - Switzerland

Lewes - United Kingdom

Landscape of Kirkjufell mountain in Iceland with a cascading waterfall in the foreground, a grassy riverbank, and dark, stormy clouds overhead.

Kirkjufell Landscape with Waterfall under Moody Skies - Grundarfjarðarbær - Iceland

Close-up photograph of a bright blue ice formation with curved surfaces and dark specks, resembling a frozen wave in an icy environment.

Blue Ice Wave Abstract - Iceland

Carved by Time: The Timeless Waterfalls of Háifoss and Granni - Iceland

Dead Vlei: Nature's Dry Canvas - Namibia

Abandoned Nuclear Reactor in Pripyat - Ukraine

gmina Oświęcim - Poland

Bled - Slovenia

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya City - Thailand

Page - United States

New York - United States

Giza - Egypt

Hong Kong - China

Macdonnell Region - Australia

Golden Sunrise Over the Swiss Highlands: Emmental - Affoltern im Emmental - Switzerland

Navajo County - United States

Panoramic landscape view in the Punakha region of Bhutan: a broad, forested mountain valley with a winding river cutting through bright green terraced farmland and scattered village houses beneath a clear blue sky with a few white clouds.

Winding River Through a Himalayan Valley, Punakha Region, Bhutan - Lakhu Tshowogm - Bhutan

Tingri - China

Baidê - China

Lauterbrunnen - Switzerland

Wide, front-facing view of Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India—an elaborate pink sandstone palace facade with many small arched windows and domed kiosks—while tourists and market stalls line the street below under a clear blue sky.

Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) Facade, Jaipur, India - Jaipur - India

Spirituality in White: The Serenity of Sheikh Zayed Mosque - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates

Aigle - Switzerland

ላሊበላ / Lalibela - Ethiopia

Riken - Switzerland

Fez - Morocco

Spectacular Cliffs of Old Harry Rocks - Studland - United Kingdom

São João da Pesqueira - Portugal

Long-exposure photograph of a waterfall dropping between dark basalt cliffs with columnar rock formations, churning milky water at the base, and a cloudy sky overhead in Iceland.

Icelandic Basalt Canyon Waterfall at Dusk - Iceland

Behind the Seljalandsfoss waterfall in Iceland, water streams down from the cliff inside a mossy cave, creating a veil of mist over a shallow pool. The landscape beyond shows green hills, a wide plain, and a bright blue sky with soft clouds.

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall viewed from behind the falls - Rangárþing eystra - Iceland

Victoria Falls - Zimbabwe

Abandoned indoor swimming pool shrouded in decay - Prypiat - Ukraine

Prypiat - Ukraine

Tujetsch - Switzerland

Siem Reap - Cambodia

A pastoral Swiss landscape with rolling hills and blooming flowers - Eggiwil - Switzerland

Coconino County - United States

Vienna - Austria

Lons-le-Saunier - France

Improvement District No. 9 - Canada

Shire of Corangamite - Australia

Shire Of Ashburton - Australia

Garfield County - United States

United Arab Emirates

People

Varanasi - India

Screen-reader description: An elderly man wearing a patterned Nepali hat sits at a potter's wheel, shaping a clay pot with his hands while spinning. The background shows shelves with pots and rough workshop materials.

Potter Shaping Clay on a Wheel in Nepal - Bhaktapur - Nepal

城西街道 - China

Elderly woman wearing a yellow headscarf and red patterned blouse balances a tall, leafy green plant bundle on her back while walking along a dirt road in a rural village; a woven bag hangs from her shoulder.

Rural Nepalese Woman Carrying a Green Foliage Bundle - Bandipur - Nepal

Close-up portrait of an elderly man with long gray hair and a thick gray beard. He has orange-yellow face paint with a red vertical stripe on his forehead and wears wooden bead necklaces over a red garment, standing in front of a reddish brick wall.

Portrait of a Hindu Holy Man with Face Paint - Kathmandu Metropolitan - Nepal

Varanasi - India

Bützberg - Switzerland

Bezirk Solothurn - Switzerland

Junge Frau posiert in der goldenen Stunde an einem ländlichen Strassenrand neben einem Interstate-76-Junction-Schild, Wind weht ihr weisses Kleid.

On-Location-Portrait an der Landstrasse mit I-76-Junction-Schild - Sedgwick County - United States

Evening street scene in Pushkar, Rajasthan: several adult men wearing traditional colorful turbans sit and stand in the open bed of an old blue, rusted, hand-painted truck. One man in an orange turban leans forward holding the side rail, while others in red and patterned shawls look to the side. A brightly lit building facade and market-style tarps are visible behind them.

Rajasthani Men Riding in a Painted Truck Bed, Pushkar (Rajasthan) - Pushkar - India

Pensive older man in black-and-white close-up - Southern Region - Malta

Visited Countries (66/199)

Europe (30/44)

68%

Austria
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Czechia
Denmark
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta

Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Vatican City

Africa (18/54)

33%

Botswana
Comoros
Egypt
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Kenya
Lesotho
Malawi
Mauritius

Morocco
Namibia
Rwanda
South Africa
Tanzania
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Asia (13/51)

25%

Bhutan
Cambodia
China
Cyprus
India
Indonesia
Nepal

Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates

Oceania (1/14)

Australia

North America (3/24)

12%

Canada
Costa Rica

United States

South America (1/12)

Venezuela