Taking to the ‘AIR’: Vincent Laforet takes photography to new heights
posted Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 2:23 PM EDT
Professional photographer Vincent Laforet regularly takes to the air to capture fantastic images and give us a new perspective on landscapes, be they urban or more natural. In a new video with Canon Australia we get to see Laforet work from a helicopter above Sydney as part of his recent "AIR" project.
Armed with Canon gear, such as their new 5DS camera body, a Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, and a tilt-shift lens, Laforet captures a wide variety of images looking down onto Sydney.
It is interesting to watch Laforet work as he is always studying the cityscape and making on-the-fly lens switches to capture the desired image. His goal is to find patterns, colors, and light that will allow him to create order out of the chaos below.
In an interview with CBS News' Lee Cowan, Laforet describes doing aerial photography as "almost an out-of-body experience." Looking down upon massive cities makes them look entirely different and smaller. From his unique perspective flying high above cities, massive distances can be shrunk down and he is able to transform incredibly complex landscapes into something visually simpler and make cities look like living beings, with streets and highways acting as "arteries" of the city.
Laforet sometimes hangs over the edge of the helicopter to capture the perfect image. Although he is harnessed, he is going to lengths many photographers wouldn't dare to. Going to dizzying altitudes over 11,000 feet to capture images, even some veteran helicopter pilots won't take Laforet as high up as he wants to go.
Despite being so high above cities and the people that inhabit them, Laforet says that there is something surprisingly intimate about doing the work. By capturing images from such great heights, Laforet wants the viewer to see that we are all connected, even if we can't see the connections from our perspective on the ground.
Laforet's new book, AIR, is available for purchase here.
To see more of Vincent Laforet's work, see his website.
(Seen via YouTube)