A few years ago, I was sitting on the Preikestolen in Norway. I looked straight down to see what was more than 600 meters below . The vertical view was fantastic and totally different from our normal horizontal one. The idea of “The World From Above” was born.
In real life we see the world horizontally. I wanted to change this perspective. So why not look at the world “from above”.
To take my photographs I’ve never used a drone. All the pictures were taken from public places. What you can see in my photos is the same as what other people could have seen from that same spot.
By combining multiple images, I’ve created a new reality in which time and space are brought together. This new photo may represent a place where, by combining dozens of images, the minutes or hours that went by are reduced to one moment. But it may also show a new dimension by, starting from one view, constantly repeating this view with other objects / people occupying the same place.
At first the pictures seem very realistic, but when you look again you get a surreal feeling. From a distance you can see a pattern but when you look closer there are incredible details to discover.
“The World From Above” started as my final portfolio project to graduate for my photography education. But this is only the beginning …
Werner Roelandt