Rafael Heygster

Rafael Heygster (born 1990) studied cultural anthropology, political science and photojournalism in Hamburg, Hannover and Aarhus. In long-term projects he examines people’s relationship with their cultural and political environment. His work has been widely exhibited internationally and received a World Press Photo award in 2025, among other honours.

Contact:
www.rafael-heygster.com
Instagram: @rafahey

Articles by Rafael:

Recommended by the editors

Water

Lake Neusiedl: tracing the salt pans

In 2022 Austria’s largest lake was at risk of drying up for the first time in 150 years. Our photographer Florian Sulzer investigated the causes.

Water

‘It’s like dancing in the water’

Flexibility, timing and blind trust: how a demanding sport shapes young athletes.

Two synchronised swimmers from SGS Hannover stand vertically upside down in a pool, with only their legs visible above the water.

Career paths

‘If you bring interest and a bit of staying power, it’s one of the best jobs in the world.’

Graduate Jonas Wresch talks in an interview about what it takes to work as a photojournalist.

Standbild aus dem Video über den Fotografen Jonas Wresch

Award winners

The dying river.

Jonas Kako documents the water crisis along the Colorado River.

Sediment deposits on truck tyres on the shore of Lake Powell, photographed by Jonas Kako.

Work

New Work: the philosopher who emptied the offices

New Work didn’t start with the pandemic but with the radical vision of a thinker in the 1980s. His ideas are more relevant today than ever.

A young man with light brown curls sits on a folding chair against a bright orange background. He wears a burgundy jumper over a light blue shirt. He isn’t wearing proper trousers, but colourful socks with a comic-strip pattern. His legs are crossed. Beside him stands a white three-legged coffee table with a grey plant pot and a pink mug. He looks intently at the laptop on his lap and wears wireless earbuds.

Work

Parental leave for fathers: Dad’s got this

A new study shows that fathers want more flexibility from their employers. Companies that respond will benefit in the long run.

In the evening, a father lies on a sofa with his child. The light from an electronic device falls on their faces as they gaze, absorbed, at the screen.

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