Publications with images by Max Wisshak

On the occasion of the International Year of Caves and Karst and the new theme trail through the showrooms of the Natural History Museum in Vienna, the brochure Höhlen: Schatzkammern der Wissenschaft [Caves: Treasure Chambers of Science] was published, illustrated among others with some of my pictures.

(ISBN 978-3-903096-51-6)

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With reference to the 'International Year of Caves and Karst 2021', the slovenian Karst Research Institute has released a richly illustrated volume on this complex matter - Karst, Caves and People. In total, 62 photographers have contributed their images to this undertaking.

(ISBN 9789610504917)

As of 2022, also German edition is available, with the title Karst, Höhlen und Menschen.

(ISBN 9783947642014)

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The first edition of Ice Caves was edited by Aurel Persoiu and Stein-Erik Lauritzen and was published in 2017 at Elsevier. The voluminous opus synthesizes the latest research on ice caves from around the globe. For the chapter on German ice caves, some of my photographs were selected.

(ISBN 9780128117392)

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The coffee-table book Unterirdisch by Hans-Joachim Schneider, published 2016 at DUMONT, portrays natural or man-made underground places with an aura of mystery. Among the many high-quality images, there are some of my shots.

(ISBN 9783770188864)

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The coffee-table book Die Höhlen des Toten Gebirges on caves in the Totes Gebirge (Austria) features chapters by numerous cavers reporting on their exploration in this karstic plateau. I contributed pictures of the Schneevulkanhalle for the chapter on the Schwarzmooskogelsystem and for the back cover.

(ISBN 9783701178155)

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Celebrating 25 years of exploration by the Höhlenforschungsgruppe Ostalb-Kirchheim in the Eisrohrhöhle-Bammelschacht-System (Reiteralm, Berchtesgaden Alps (Germany) the 7.8 km long and 496 m deep cave system is now featured in a monograph. The volume comprises the description of the system and nearby caves, exploration reports, and chapters on the geology, speleogenesis, speleothems, and hydrography, alongside the complete map of the cave system. The monograph was authored by Max Wisshak, Rainer Straub, Herbert Jantschke, and Matthias López Correa and is published in the Materialhefte zur Karst- und Höhlenkunde, volume 21.

(ISSN 0937-163X)

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Photo book Grandes Cavités Méditerranéennes published by Victor Ferrer Rico in 2009, illustrating the prettiest caves in Southern France, including the Grotte Malaval for which I had the honour to donate a couple of pictures of the famous blue formations.

(ISBN 978-84-933711-2-2)

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The comprehensive monograph La Grotte de Saint Marcel d'Ardèche (France) comprises detailed maps and many underground images, among which a couple of my images were selected.

(ISBN 2-9517215-6-0)

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Two new guidebooks on the Franconian Alb, with the one or the other of my images, were released in 2006/2007: Thomas Hübner's 25 mal Fränkische Schweiz and the enlarged and revised new edition of Höhlen in Franken by Angela and Stephan Lang.

(ISBN 978-3-89889-058-8)
(ISBN 987-3-418-00385-6)

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The booklet Höhlen in Baden-Württemberg produced by the Staatsanzeiger Verlag in cooperation with the ARGE Grabenstetten is a well-illustrated volume, featuring various aspects of speleological research in SW-Germany. This includes images from the early days of my cave photography.

(ISBN 978-3-929981-76-6)

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For the WAS IST WAS volume 83 Höhlen, I contributed about two dozen images and was happily surprised to find my dear wife Stefanie on the cover collage.

(ISBN 3-7886-0423-9)

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This noble illustrated book Merveilles du Monde Souterrain on the world's most important karst areas and caves, published by the LA VENTA Exploring Team, is available in Italian (Meraviglie del Mondo Sotterraneo) and French (Merveilles du Monde Souterrain). It was my pleasure to contribute the title shot.

(ISBN 88-7082-837-9; Italian Version)
(ISBN 20-8011-868; French Version)

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Guide book Höhlenführer Schwäbische Alb (Germany) by Hans Binder and Herbert Jantschke, with numerous images of mine, including the title shot.

(ISBN 3-87181-485-7)

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For the very nice March 2024 issue of the German nature photography mag NaturFoto, I have contributed an article about the art of cave photography, illustrated using the example of Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico (USA)

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The 2023 special issue of the German magazine natur is devoted entirely to the topic of caves and other phenomena of the underworld. Among them, with the title Uns eint der Drang Neuland zu erschliessen, an interview with me, and Sternenhimmel unter Tage, a contribution by Steffi and me about the fascinating glowworms in New Zealand.

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Issue 289 of the Descent mag features two double-pages with some images taken from our new book Lechuguilla Cave: Discoveries in a Hidden Splendor.

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Honoured of being featured with a cave photographer portfolio In DIE HÖHLE 2022, with two douple-pages of photos selected by Theo Pfarr.

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Issue 2/2022 of the Forum Naturfotografie mag features the story behind our coffee-table book New Zealand Karst, titled Neuseeland aus einer ungewöhnlichen Perspektive [New Zealand from an unusual perspective].

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And another contribution to ELEMENTS; this time an interview and portfolio on New Zealand Karst in the section 'From the Bookshelf' in the April 2022 Issue (# 14).

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If you are interested in my take on cave photography as a quite peculiar and challenging discipline of nature photography, check out my feature article Underground Landscapes in the February 2022 issue (#12) of the top-notch landscape photography magazine ELEMENTS.

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Volume 277 of Descent features the article Lech:150, celebrating the fact that Lechuguilla Cave has surpassed 150 miles of survey during our October 2019 expedition.

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Issue 11/2020 of the NSS NEWS is a special volume dedicated to 150 miles in Lechuguilla Cave. I was highly delighted to see a panorama I took at Lake Castrovalva as the wraparound cover! In addition, the volume contains an article by Derek Bristol and me, entitled Neuland in Lechuguilla Cave.

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Volume 276 of Descent is enhanced by my cover shot of the 187 m deep entrance drop into Harwood Hole in New Zealand. The issue features a well-formulated review of our new coffee-table book New Zealand Karst, together with a sample chapter on the fascinating glowworms – Starry Skies Underground.

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Lechuguilla Cave has the reputation to contain a large suite of rather unusual cave minerals. Among these are greenish stalactites and bluish pool crystals composed of barite. Our scientific analysis of these rare speleothems, entiteld Active growth of non-hydrothermal subaqueous and subaerial barite (BaSO4) speleothems in Lechuguilla Cave (New Mexico, USA), has been published in Volume 49 Issue 1 of the International Journal of Speleology (open access).

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For issue 1/2020 of the NSS NEWS I wrote a short note about 150 Miles in Lechuguilla Cave. This symbolic survey mark was reached during an expedition I led in October 2019. However, more important - in my view - was the discovery of the Barite Boulevard, which we had the great pleasure to reach behind Lake of Liquid Sky.

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Volume 269 of Descent features an article by Hazel Barton, Derek Bristol, and James Hunter on the exploration of the Chandelier Graveyard and the ambitioned climb Higher Education in Lechuguilla Cave (New Mexico, USA). The article and both covers feature some of my images.

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Issue 1/2018 of the NSS NEWS features an article by me and John Lyles on the exploration of Lechuguilla Cave (New Mexico, USA). In particular, the article portrays our efforts to mop up South Winds and Southern Climes. The article and cover are spiced with my photographs of these areas.

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With issue 259 of Descent, the comprehensive series A caver’s guide to the microbiology of caves by Hazel A. Barton was concluded (issues 255, 256, 257 and 259). It was a pleasure to contribute some images of relevant features in Lechuguilla Cave to these well-received articles.

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Issue 251 of Descent features an article by Derek Bristol and me, showcasing our discovery and exploration of Neuland in Lechuguilla Cave.

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In der March issue 2015 of natur, an image of the spectacular gypsum crystals in the Chandelier Ballroom of Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico (USA) serves to illustrate resistant extremophile bacteria that were discovered in this cave.

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Since 2014, each issue of Spelunca features a 4-page portfolio of one of the worlds most renowned cave photographers. Upon invitation by Philippe Crochet, I had the pleasure to open this series together with Chris Howes (GB) and Dave Bunnell (USA) – (Spelunca 136, 2014).

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Volume 238 of Descent features a portfolio with images taken during the Second International Cave Photographer Meeting, held 2013 in the Trieste karst.

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The speleo-journal jamar contains a report and pictures of the Second International Cave Photographer Meeting, held 2013 in the Trieste karst.

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A photo of my 2008 trip to the Schneevulkanhalle in the Totes Gebirge (Austria) makes for the cover of the 2013 volume of DIE HÖHLE.

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The september issue 2013 of natur features the article Im Rausch der Tiefe by Agnes Fazekas on the discovery of a surprisingly spacious cave in the Bavarian Alps. The article is illustrated with a selection of my images from caves around the globe.

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The science magazine horizonte, issue 97, raises the question dead or alive?, facing my image form the famous blue helictites in the Grotte Asperge (France).

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The Jahresheft 2009 of the Arge Grabenstettenwith my title shot "The Helix", a gypsum flower with unbelievable 42 windings, hidden in New Zealand.

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The title story of volume 58/1 of STALACTITE is Caves in Germany and as title image I had the honour to contribute an image of a Swabian cave.

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The Jahresheft 2008 of the ARGE Grabenstetten with my title shot and an expedition report of our 2009 trip into Lechuguilla Cave (New Mexico, USA). In addition, the volume features a portfolio of the Schneevulkanhalle – the largest ice chamber in the world – and the result of a joint photographic session with Stephan and Angela Lang, Leo Klimmer, Robert Winkler, and Saskia Bartmann.

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Quite unfamiliar for me, this time before instead of behind the camera ... For the title story on extremophiles Die zweite Welt in GEO issue 3/09, Writer Lars Abromeit and photographer Carsten Peter joined microbiologist Hazel Barton and me into Lechuguilla Cave (New Mexico, USA).

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Ten pages of images taken from my first coffee-table book Inside Mother Earth in issue 1/2009 of ZEIT WISSEN.

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Double page from my book Inside Mother Earth in ALPIN, issue 1/2009, including a short text about the book and the label ‘book of the month’!

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The October issue 07 of Digital Photographer (Ukrainian edition) contains an extensive story on cave photography featuring images and portraits of Peter Gedei, Tony Merino, Kasia and Marcin Gala, Andreas Schober, and myself.

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The April 2007 NSS NEWS is devoted to Lechuguilla Cave and features several of my images taken during a 2006 expedition into this cave.

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In the May 2007 issue of natur+kosmos you'll find my portfolio entitled Im Bauch der Erde.

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Issue 1/2006 of Schönes Schwaben features my article Im Bauch der Schwäbischen Alb – a brief portrait of the Swabian caves.

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January 2005 issue of Natur Foto features my article Licht im Dunkeln, a report and portfolio about underground photography.

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In GEOLino extra, volume Abenteuer Erde. Die extremsten Lebensräume der Welt you'll find an article about caves with some of my images.

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Underground Worlds 2023
November: Goldloch, Germany

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Underground Worlds 2022
June: Anonymous cave, Neuseeland

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Underground Worlds 2021
April: Lechuguilla Cave, USA

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2021
October: Lechuguilla Cave, USA

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Underground Worlds 2019
September: Cove des Coloms 1, Spain

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Underground Worlds 2018
May: Aven de Mas de Roquet, France

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Underground Worlds 2017
January: Lechuguilla Cave, USA
August: Jazbina v Rovnjah, Slovenia

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2017
May: Lechuguilla Cave, USA

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Underground Worlds 2016
December: SMK-System, Austria

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2015
February: Kacna Jama, Slovenia

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Underground Worlds 2015
January: Lechuguilla Cave, USA

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2014
Title: Grotte du Barrage, France
January: SMK-System, Austria
July: Grotte du Barrage, France

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Underground Worlds 2013
Title: Anonymous cave, France
May: Lechuguilla Cave, USA

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Underground Worlds 2012
November: Lechuguilla Cave, USA

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2012
Title: Grotte des Écossaises, France
August: Grotte des Écossaises, France
December: Grotte Estevan, France

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Underground Worlds 2011
March: Lechuguilla Cave, USA
October: Anonymous cave, France

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2011
September: Metro Cave, New Zealand
December: Cottonwood Cave, USA

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Underground Worlds 2010
Title: Harwood Hole, New Zealand
February: Grotte des Écossaises, France
October: Metro Cave, New Zealand
December: Lechuguilla Cave, USA

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2009
November: Anonymous cave, France

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Underground Worlds 2009
April: Aven de Père Pouget, France
July: Grotte des Calles, France

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Underground Worlds 2008
January: Beibelkareishöhle, Germany

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2008
October: Eiskogelhöhle, Austria

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Underground Worlds 2007
Title: Aven Noir, France
January: Anonymous cave, France
March: Lechuguilla Cave, USA
December: Lechuguilla Cave, USA

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2007
February: Eisrohrhöhle, Germany

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Underground Worlds 2006
Title: Ponorului, Romania
February: Eiskogelhöhle, Austria
August: Waipuna Cave, New Zealand

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2006
March: Eiskapelle, Germany
October: Montmilchloch, Germany

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Underground Worlds 2005
March: Grotte Malaval, France
December: Grotte Malaval, France

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Speleo-Projects Caving Calendar 2005
March: Grotte Malaval, France

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Underground Worlds 2004
Title: Baume St. Anne, France
January: Baume St. Anne, France

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