The relationship between
human
and the earth
portrayed from the sky
Tom HegenAerial photographer
Tom Hegen is an aerial photographer born in 1991 in Germany. After studying graphic design at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, he began to focus more and more on photography. His works focus on the traces that humans leave behind in the environment in order to sustain their way of life. His first photo book "Habitat" was published in 2018. Hegen’s work has received worldwide acclaim and earned many awards, including the Red Dot Design Award, the German Design Award, and the International Photography Award.
http://tomhegen.de/
Summary
In a stratum, various incidents that have occurred in the 4.6 billion years since the birth of the earth, such as the collision of meteorites, the crustal movement, and the large eruption of a volcano, are engraved. However, the recent significant human activity is equally impacting on the earth's geology and ecosystems to that of above natural convulsions. Tom Hegen, an aerial photographer based in Munich, explores these human impacts left on the earth through the photography. How his abstract painting like compelling aerial images render another face of the earth and convey the message?
What inspired you to switch
your style;
traditional landscape
from aerial photography?
I started with classic landscape photography which chases the perfect composition and light. But soon, I realized that those sugarcoated shots do not represent their real environment. Then, I began to question the term »landscape« as known from »landscape photography«. »Land« is a word of Germanic origin and the roots of the suffix »-scape«, German »-schaffen« refers to the verb »shaping«. So landscape in the sense of landscaping refers to an activity that modifies the visible features of an area. As a consequence of that, I started seeing landscape photography of documenting places influenced by human rather than landscape photography as showing pure, unspoiled nature.
Aerial photography
exploring the
impact of
humanity on the earth
THE QUARRY SERIES @ Tom Hegen
Please share us the theme you explore through aerial photography
Today, I am interested in the concept of the Anthropocene(*1). It is a term used by scientists which theorize that humans, in recent centuries, have become one of the most important factors influencing the biological, geological and atmospheric processes on earth. Some of the most significant changes in the Anthropocene include climate change, the ozone hole in the Antarctic, rapidly rising sea levels, and landscape changes caused by river shifts or the degradation of raw materials. In my photography, I explore the origin and scale of that idea to understand the dimensions of man's intervention in natural spaces and to direct attention toward how humans can take responsibility. Aerial photography is a compelling way to document those interventions because it makes the dimensions of human force on earth visible. I am also fascinated by the abstraction that comes with the change of perspective; seeing something familiar from a new vantage point that you are not used to do. I use abstraction and aestheticization as a language to inspire people and also to offer the viewer a connection to the subject as they need to decode what they are looking at.
(*1) One of the geological age categories advocated by the Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist Paul Kurzzen. It is defined as an era in which humankind brought about global environmental changes through the agricultural and industrial revolutions following the great development of humankind.
Do you have any favorite series
or location you ever worked on?
I don't really have a favorite series. Every project is special to me since I know how much effort it was to get these photographs. It gives me a deep connection to every single image. Location is also hard to tell the answer since every location has something special about it and needs a different approach. I gladly remember shooting THE SALT SERIES II. This project was shot from a small, old aircraft during a morning flight. The conditions were just perfect, and I was very happy with the results when looking through the photos on the camera.
Another look on the surface
seen from the sky
THE SALT SERIES I & THE SALT SERIES II @ Tom Hegen
What is the background story of
THE SALT SERIES?
The extraction of sea salt is one of the oldest forms of human landscaping, and it is the oldest method of salt production. In Europe, it dates back to antiquity, some 6,000 years ago. The color of the water indicates the salinity of the ponds. Micro-organisms change their hues as the salinity of the pond increases. The colors can vary from lighter shades of green the vibrant red. Although the sea salt industry covers large areas around the world, the salt ponds and marshes are an important habitat for many species like birds, shellfishes or micro-organisms. Salt is a raw material that is now part of our everyday lives, but we rarely ask where it actually comes from and how it is being produced. I wanted to set focus on an everyday product which we are all so familiar with but know surprisingly little about it.
While you continue to work on
the series of aerial photography,
have your consciousness of
environment changed?
Absolutely. I am definitely more sensitive about how things are connected. Over the years, I have developed an eye that reads the landscape, whether interventions are obvious or just very subtle. I think it's very important to see the world with open eyes and to question things. It makes you an active member of our earth.
How can photography become
more involved in environmental
issue?
In my opinion, information is key in order to make progress. The more information we have, the better we understand, and the more responsible we can act. The information we need to grow as a society are coming from all sorts of fields like science, history, biology. And also creative industries contribute to this pool of information. As a photographer, I try to add visual-based information that can show the state of our environment and how we affect them. I do this by stepping away from the scenery to present a topic in a wider context. The more diverse information we have on a subject - may it be visual, scientific or historical information, the more we learn and the better we can adopt.
The role of photographer to
speculate
the sustainable
future.
What is your ideal relationship
between human and nature?
In the name of greater growth and ever more consumption, we are changing our planet primarily for economic and political interests. At the moment, about 7.5 billion people live on planet earth. By the end of this century, the world's population is expected to increase to 11 billion people. One of the biggest challenges in 21st year hundred will be hosting more and more people with limited space and resources. To meet this challenge, we all need to understand that we only have this one earth. That is why we should respect, protect and preserve it while it is still possible. We have the knowledge, the technology and the strength to do so. We just need to start very soon!
THE GREENHOUSE SERIES II @ Tom Hegen
If you take an aerial picture of
the same location you ever had
in 50 years later, what do you
imagine the landscape will be?
What kind of change do you hope?
I don't really judge the places that I have seen. I would more like to document the place and to show them in a vulnerable but beautiful way. Anyway, I hope that some places will experience a change towards a more natural integrated presence of human beings.