Snow Tiger

For his series on Russia, the photographer followed his subjects through the snow in temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius. Schnetz had almost forgotten taking this picture, but, after rediscovering it, he realized he now saw it from an entirely new perspective.

"Even though I obviously followed this bizarre backpack for a number of steps and a dozen photos, and was somewhat fascinated by the contrast of the child's shuffling gait and a dangerous, threatening tiger bite, it's not only that I never looked back at this five-year-old picture until a few weeks ago, I can't even remember taking it in the first place. There is often something strange for me about strolling through my archive – if that's what I can call my aimless wandering through the data on my hard drive. As with this picture, you slip into a strange perspective, which, with the distance established over time, must stand up to the current understanding of the picture.

Even if, in the process, you can only see what you've already photographed, it's exciting to note and recognize how your own way of seeing has changed. As a result, the supposedly static archive can take on a new dimension. I like surprises like this picture, and I am curious to see which pictures I rediscover for myself in another five years' time."