Commercial photographer Andrei Duman takes to the skies for a stunning set of aerial landscape imagery. Through his lens, we see an abstract view of the world, with strange lines and surreal colors. Taken using a 151-megapixel Phase One camera, the images are also filled with rich details that really pop when they are seen in a large format.
While Duman’s commercial photography requires meticulous attention to detail and careful planning, his aerial photography provides him with a different type of creative outlet. All of the images are taken from a helicopter, making them a full-body experience.
“It is incredibly liberating to be in a plane or helicopter with the doors off, corkscrewing around your subject with all the G-forces and blood rushing to your head,” Duman shares. “You have to adapt quickly to changing conditions and become reactive to your settings and compositions.”
This adventure spurs spontaneity and, given the high-quality results, shows off Duman’s sharp observational skills. Even in these conditions, he’s able to craft artful compositions that draw in the viewer. Whether photographing salt ponds, river beds, or arid terrain, he’s able to extract the essence of the landscape.
Duman’s series is currently being featured in an online exhibition at Aurélie’s Gallery, where they are also available for purchase. Attracted by their abstract quality, gallery founder Aurélie Jezequel marvels at his ability to show beauty in unexpected places.
“At first glance (and even at the tenth one), you’re not sure what you’re looking at. It’s hard to decipher a landscape in these strange lines and surrealist (yet true) colors. Coming closer you sometimes notice small details—a power line, a house—which give you a clue to what you’re looking at. But too often, there’s nothing to cling to: most of the images remain mysterious, defying conventions and expectations of what a landscape should look like.”
Scroll down to see more of Duman’s incredible aerial photography, and then click over to From Above, his online exhibition at Aurélie’s Gallery.
Commercial photographer Andrei Duman takes to the skies in a helicopter for a series of abstract aerial landscapes.
Using a 151-megapixel Phase One camera, his aerial photographs are filled with rich detail.
