KEVIN KRAUTGARTNER

Island vacations are the stuff of dreams for tourists of all kinds, from adventurous backpackers to families to retirees. Places like Bora Bora, Tahiti, the Maldives, and the Seychelles hold a fascination for travelers who are drawn by the natural, unspoiled beauty.

But these island paradises are under siege as human-caused climate change has lifted ocean temperatures, raised sea levels, and intensified storm severity. As a result, many of these islands could become partly submerged and uninhabitable within a few decades.

The rise in sea level varies from place to place. It depends on water temperature (hot water has more volume than cold); the effect of wind; the direction of oceanic currents; and even the contours of continents and the shifting of tectonic plates.

The severity may vary locally, but it is a global issue nonetheless.

For the past six months I’ve been traveling thousands of kilometers for several photo projects. As I mostly had to drive to very remote areas, I passed many types of terrain. From highlands to swamplands. From lava fields to river arms. At a height of about 150 meters, I’ve documented my journeys from above my car. 

This series should give an impression how abstract but also fascinating our planet is looking from the air. 

Most of Icelands´s rivers spring from glaciers. Their flow is much greater in the summer than in the winter, and the water usually has a milky grey or brown color, depending on the nature of the silt that it carries. The rivers erode the bedrock, and alluvial material is deposited on the lowlands. Except at the feed of a glacier, most rivers are filled with brown trout, arctic char, and salmon.
However different angles of sunrays let the rivers shine in endless color variations.

All photos were captured from an aerial perspective.

This is the second part of my “Salts” aerial series. You can find the first part here

Salt evaporation ponds, also called salterns, are shallow artificial ponds designed to extract salts from sea water. To make it's sea salt, many companies in Australia are using a method called "solar evaporation". Solar salt is produced by the action of sun and wind on seawater in large ponds. The seawater evaporates in successive ponds until the seawater is fully concentrated and the salt then crystallizes on the floor of the pond. Due to variable algal concentrations, vivid colors, from bright blue to deep red, are created in the evaporation ponds. The color indicates the salinity of the ponds.

Endless stretches of beautiful white beaches, crystal clear water and stunning rock formations: the west coast of Australia is one of the most beautiful coastlines on our planet. The often uncharted shores of the island continent offer a unique mix of abstract water colors and tidal patterns.

All photos from this series were captured from an aerial perspective.

Salt evaporation ponds, also called salterns, are shallow artificial ponds designed to extract salts from sea water. To make it's sea salt, many companies in Australia are using a method called "solar evaporation". Solar salt is produced by the action of sun and wind on seawater in large ponds. The seawater evaporates in successive ponds until the seawater is fully concentrated and the salt then crystallizes on the floor of the pond. Due to variable algal concentrations, vivid colors, from bright blue to deep red, are created in the evaporation ponds. The color indicates the salinity of the ponds.

- Aerial photos have been taken from a small plane with rear doors removed. -

Bauxite ore is the world's primary source of aluminum.

It is a characteristic reddish ore that naturally has a particularly high concentration of aluminum oxides and hydroxides. For this reason, bauxite is particularly suitable for aluminum production - also against the background of the increasing aluminum demand worldwide, because bauxite enables efficient production of the metal.
In addition to the very high energy consumption and the escaping heat in the processing of bauxite for the production of aluminum, large areas of the landscape are used in the mining of bauxite, which must be recultivated.

The mining areas, which are usually several hectares in size, are controversial, but if you look at them from an aerial perspective, especially it’s tailing ponds look like huge abstract oil paintings.

The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia has been fascinating me for a long time. This autumn I finally managed to travel there and to photograph this wonderful architectural place. The CAS, build by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, consists of several buildings which became symbols of the city. It is an entertainment-based cultural complex and in any case an impressive example of modern architecture which is always worth a visit.

Part 2 of my „Reduced to the max“ series.

A photographic journey through contemporary architecture

A photographic journey through contemporary architecture

Recently I had the privilege to shoot the new concert hall in the Kulturpalast in Dresden, Germany which has been refurbished in April 2017. It is now "home" of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Dresden Philharmonic can look back on a 150-year-tradition as the orchestra of Saxony’s capital.

Series of monochrome shots // part ll

Norway is definitely one of the most beautiful places I have visited so far. With it´s countless varieties of small islands surrounding the northern part, it is such an amazing country. Especially the interplay of water, sand and stones around the coastlines is creating unique structures both during the day and at night.

As most of these abstract landscape patterns only become visible from a straight view from above, I am continuing my aerial series right here.

In our digital time scarcely anybody visits a library anymore. The mass of eBooks you can find online is steadily rising. Furthermore books are too heavy to carry. But thereby, we also miss this mostly wonderful architecturally places.

This is a photo series of various german libraries.

- Artwork photo number 2: (c) Olaf Metzel / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2015 -

Aerial photography - Iceland

The beautiful landscapes of Iceland has always been fascinating me. You can find endless types of icy mountains, roaring volcanoes, monolithic glaciers and deep fjords, to list only a part. The best way to capture all those different kinds of nature is from above…

The Lichtburg Essen is an historic theater right in the heart of the Ruhrgebiet-area in Germany. With over 1200 seats, it´s Germany´s largest cinemahall. It was build in 1928 and has been listed as a national monument since 1998.

Fragments from different cities

Selection of several interior shots

In a city where there are no limits to dreams, this lost form of art can flourish uninhibited but not unnoticed. The vision of Dubai is imbedded in a constant forward and upward reach for the next and best thing. Just as the Bohemian villages of Paris Dubai has become the place for artisans to flock to build their colossal visions. They may not be exactly the same, they may not agree with each other in aesthetic style or philosophy, but they are building the future of the world. Art influences. Architecture defines.

Subway stations - everybody knows them. Usually filled with stressed and hurried people. Under our capital cities, we normally don´t recognize those partly fantastic architectural constructions. At a later time we can see the beauty of those deserted subway stations. These impressive photography will exactly show you that. Enjoy

An abstract representation of high-tension lines.

Subway stations - everybody knows them. Usually filled with stressed and hurried people. Under our capital cities, we normally don´t recognize those partly fantastic architectural constructions. At a later time we can see the beauty of those deserted subway stations. These impressive photography will exactly show you that. Enjoy

The Konzerthaus Dortmund was one of the most amazing concert halls I have photographed so far. The clean white look and the massiv organ in the back were just matching perfectly together.

Opened in 2002 the Konzerthaus offers seats for 1500 persons.

Cityscapes and fragments from Hongkong and Kowloon

The office block at the Cologne Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer has been completed after a construction period of three years (2007 – 2009). Since May 2010 the first tenants of the COO office complex have been enjoying the light-flooded and richly colored premises. 5000 colored sunshades, made of red and green colored printed glass panels, guarantee the shading of the Oval Office. The colors are supposed to reflect nature with green and autumnally red colored leaves. Greened patios offer a place for relaxation, regeneration and communication.

Nightscapes Hongkong and surrounding area

Series of monochrome shots