Under Bernhard Lang’s wings
The famous German photographer Bernhard Lang is catching Earth’s hidden nooks for 20 years now. Spellbound by aerial shots, he is working on his project “Aerial Views” since 2010, highlighting the impact of men on nature. CONTAINERS tee-shirt, result of our collaboration, was the opportunity to ask a few questions to this artist, free as a bird.
Could you go back in time a little and tell us how your interest for photography came to be?
It was quite pragmatically in the beginning. I was searching for a profession which needs both: Technical and creative abilities. I found that in photography. The passion for photography developed the more I got into it.
How did you discover aerial photography for the first time?
I was inspired by the vistas outside the window on passenger flights. I remember being particularly captivated by snowy landscapes during a flight from Tokyo to Munich that took me over Siberia, and the vast deserts I saw on a flight to South Africa. It was very impressive to see these structures from 10,000 meters above … the landscapes, the huge rivers. I was always interested in seeing the patterns … These all looked like paintings to me.
Doing aerial photography must take a lot of preparation. How do you organise yourself?
The organization is the part which takes most of the time and efforts.
How do you go about locating a suitable spot for a good photograph?
Completely different. Sometimes the ideas come from TV documentaries, magazine articles…
When we look at your photographs, we discover the beauty of Earth, with its surprising shapes and fascinating graphic elements. But your photos also reveal another aspect, notably the impact of man on the environment. What message do you want to convey through all these aerial shots?
Through my images of the Aerial Views project I am trying to show this massive impact of humans on earth. But I don’t want to preach or moralize. It’s also about the contrast between the beauty of the Earth and the impact of humans on it.
You’re exhibiting thirteen aerial photographs of coalmines taken near Cologne at the Luisa Wang Gallery in Paris this summer. What was that experience like for you?
It is my first big solo exhibition (lasting still until 26 th of August 2015). It was a great experience this series of images in a big formate next to each other. Also to be exhibited in a gallery located in the heart of Quartier Latin in Paris is great.
“Containers”, a photo you took for our winter collection, showcases the surprising beauty of shipping containers in the port of Bremerhaven in the North of Germany. Can you tell us about the story behind that photo?
I like the colorfulness and the strict geometric arrangements of the containers. The series of the container harbour images show the massive footprint of globalization, and what a massive but mostly unseen industry international shipping has become.
You won at the “Sony World Photography Awards” this year with your “Aerial Views Adria” series. How did you experience this reward?
Winning a category at the world’s largest photography competition and being selected from over 87000 entries was unexpected and a great honor for me.
What are your projects in the coming months?
I have a few things in mind. But I just can talk about it or show it, when they are done and I think, that the results are worth showing to the public.
Thank you to Bernhard.
Find Bernhard Lang on Facebook, Instagram and on his official site.
To buy OLOW tee in collaboration with Bernhard Lang click here: CONTAINERS
– L.K –
