Date posted: September 30, 2008

The Earth From Above: High, Higher, Highest

The earth from above is one of the most successful concepts in photography of the past few years. One of the first books of its kind was "The Earth from Above" by French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. It was followed by The Earth from Above 365 days and 366 days, Greece from Above, Paris from Above and countless other volumes.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand was of course by no means the first aerial photographer. What was different about his project was that he made the same photos around the world, following the same procedure, thereby showing the diversity of life and landscapes on earth.

At more or less the same time German photographer Bernhard Edmaier had been working on a similar series focusing on natural landscapes.

Dutch photographer Gerco de Ruijter also takes aerial photos, but using a rather unique procedure. He has attached a camera to a kite and walks his kite through the landscape. His photos are therefore to a certain extent unpredictable since he cannot frame an image.

Some years ago NASA released a series of astounding satellite images from its Landsat 7 satellite chosen for their aesthetic quality rather than their scientific value. Building on its success they subsequently released a second series. (Or here).

One of my favourite books is still Taking Measures Across the American Landscape by Alex MacLean. The focus in this book is on man-made landscapes at the intersection of nature and culture. The result is a series of abstract landscapes, which as an aesthetic category, are neither purely abstract nor figurative.

It is easy to understand why these images have turned out so popular. They not only present enticing patterns but also offer a novel perspective from a vantage point that most people cannot occupy. Look-outs, whether high mountains, towers or other vantage points have always been popular. It may even tap into remnants of our evolutionary past when early homonids had to climb into a tree to look out for both predators and prey.