AP PHOTOS: Germany springs to life in vivid scenes of nature

As the sun bleeds into daylight or fades toward night, AP photographer Michael Probst is often on the hunt for serene scenes near his home in Frankfurt, Germany that evoke a sense of wonder.

Nature comes alive in the vibrant yellow of a pollen-laden bee approaching a sunflower or a fuzzy-headed gosling poking from the plumage on its mother’s back. Two toothy Icelandic horses with shaggy manes playfully bite each other while their large eyes seem fixed on the camera lens.

Probst, who has worked for The Associated Press for 30 years, focused on finding a different perspective on life once his three children were grown up and he could work in the early or late hours of the day when the light is best.

“I thought there must be more in news photography than soccer, business and government press conferences,” Probst said. “With all the trouble in the world, I wanted to show the nice things.”

Among the many images he’s captured when not on traditional assignments: a wild boar bounds…