Lesser Flamingos thrive in some of the harshest environments on Earth, characterized by searing air temperatures and caustic waters. These conditions are ideal for producing their staple food source, cyanobacteria, which the flamingos harvest using their unique bills. The lake environments also lack almost all potential predators, showcasing the triumph of their evolutionary adaptation. Seen from above, the soda lakes offer a mesmerizing and ever-changing mix of colors and patterns, providing a perfect photographic complement to the flamingos.
During an aerial photography session, the photographer stumbled upon certain buildings in the city that bore a striking resemblance to computer components. Intrigued by this observation, he began noticing more architectural structures that echoed the design of computer parts. Isolating these buildings from their surroundings, he closely examined their structure and function. To him, these structures symbolize the urban landscape as a vast machine, intricately interconnected and combined, with people playing a central role in its internal workings. Through this exploration, he sought to understand the operational mechanisms of the city.
Cranberries are a fruit native to Massachusetts, primarily grown in the state's southeastern region. The ideal cultivation environment is characterized by coarse sand, acidic peat soil, a fresh water supply, cold winters, and a long growing season from April to November. While images of the harvest may suggest cranberries grow in water, they actually grow on vines planted in beds or "bogs." Growers use wet and dry harvesting techniques to collect the crop. I utilized my drone to capture a bird's-eye view of the annual fall harvest.
n this series, Chang Kyun documents the Japanese concentration camp sites established in the U.S. during World War II, where 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated. His primary approach is to capture the unchanged surrounding landscape, evoking the contradictory emotion that it appears beautiful and awe-inspiring to us, yet must have been terrifying and desperate for the internees confined within it. He also aims to capture the lingering remnants of the camps, preserving the enduring memories that are a bitter part of recent American history.
The photos taken by S. Bühler in Bor, northeastern Serbia, may appear as stills from a post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie. Serpentine formations on the hills, created by tailings, and lakes with contrasting colors—dominated by a muddy red hue, contrasting with the otherworldly blues of the copper mines—depict an ecological disaster that has plagued this town for decades. The fetid pools of water accumulating in the feverishly red soil further emphasize the environmental degradation. Sebastian Bühler's aesthetic compositions serve as a means to draw attention to the landscape, ravaged by industrial activity and human intervention.
From early morning to late afternoon, the Salt Fields showcase a unique and incomparable beauty at each time of day. In the morning, they depict a scene of labor as salt farmers prepare to go to the fields. By noon and afternoon, the Salt Fields transform into a natural spectacle with a clear sky and snow-white salt hills. For the salt farmers, salt making is the most challenging profession, as bitter as the taste of the sea. They constantly pray for sunny weather, fearing that approaching storms will make their work even more difficult and arduous.
New Zealand's alpine scenery is truly spectacular, captured from a bird's eye view during a Grand Traverse scenic flight from Lake Tekapo. From braided rivers and snowy mountain ranges to epic glaciers, ice flows, and turquoise glacial lakes, the landscape offers both intricate details and grand vistas to behold. This selection of images aims to convey the majesty of this changing landscape. However, as global warming accelerates glacier retreat worldwide, these vistas may evolve. Experiencing these sights from above was awe-inspiring, and I ponder what the future holds.
The majesty of the large glacial moraines along the coast of Iceland, with their wide rivers and diverse terrains, creates textures rich in colors and sinuous shapes. Utilizing drones and satellite maps, I envisioned and captured these shots, which continually leave me in awe of what Mother Nature can achieve. Over the years, I've witnessed these textures expanding into previously untouched areas, a stark indication of accelerated ice melting. Action is imperative.
Drone photos capture the remnants of Palestinian communities in Ein Samia and al-Qabun, abandoned following attacks by Israeli settlers and the army. These communities, among others, have been forced to leave, a process intensified since the beginning of the conflict. A vast area stretching east from Ramallah to the outskirts of Jericho, encompassing approximately 150,000 dunams (150 square kilometers) of the occupied West Bank, now sees few Palestinians remaining as residents fled for safety in recent months.
The Rio Tinto is a 100 km river in Huelva, southern Spain, known for its wine-like color, which comes from minerals like pyrite, iron, and copper sulfide. Bacteria oxidize these minerals, creating its unique hue, while sulfuric acid adds to its acidity. It's a favorite spot for photographers interested in abstract and creative photography, often resembling an alien landscape. Even after spending four days exploring in 40-degree heat, I felt like I could have stayed longer.
The beautiful patterns on frozen lakes discovered in February are absolutely fascinating. Resembling flowers, branches, stars, and abstract compositions, these intricate formations can only be appreciated from above. Later research revealed that these patterns are actually holes created by vegetation within the lake—an intriguing display of natural art. It showcases a wealth of surreal forms and patterns, yet capturing them in the lowlands of central Europe, where winters are becoming milder, proves challenging. Not every winter offers the right conditions for these phenomena to manifest.
As immigration numbers roared to their highest in decades, Texas Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star program militarized Eagle Pass with barbed wire, spiked buoys, and thousands of National Guard and State Troopers. This essay chronicles the migrants' perilous journey; through the Rio Grande river, and onto the razor-wire-laden bank of Eagle Pass, Texas, where migrants often would spend hours before being detained and processed by border authorities. Roughly 2.5 million migrants arrived at the U.S. southern border in 2023.