The Tagliamento is one of the last wild rivers in Europe. In the riverbed near Udine in northeastern Italy, widely branched river arms intertwine with sand and gravel banks that are constantly in motion. A paradise for all those who love unusual stones.

They shimmer in a wide variety of colors, crisscrossed with hatchings and abraded by the water. I first visited the Tagliamento riverbed half a century ago as a child with my parents, then 25 years ago with my children – and, again 25 years later, with my wife Katja. I started photographing rocks, some only the size of a fist. When seen up close, they reveal magical worlds. Expressive compositions combine with meditative power. Formed by pressure and heat in the earth’s interior, they produce a beauty reminiscent of Japanese ink drawings or finely crafted sculptures. Small worlds that remain hidden to most. With the eyes one can lose oneself in them, discover and admire them.