Kevin Krautgartner

The world looks very different viewed from above. High above from the earth’s surface, we gain a new perspective on what’s happening on the ground. The aerial photographer Kevin Krautgartner observes our environment from this viewpoint, finding and photographing never-before-seen wonders. His works focus on the diversity of nature and the marvels it creates, showcasing our world in all its richness, variety, luminosity and beauty. From fascinating landscapes and natural structures to striking shapes and shadows, he treats the natural world like a canvas, filled with color and detail.
Inspired by his communication design studies, Krautgartner’s love of graphic elements is apparent in his work - by turns abstract, geometric and surreal. Rejecting straightforward documentary-style photography, he creatively composes his shots to depict the unique shapes and forms of his subjects. Our environment is in a constant state of change, and each one of Krautgartner’s photographs captures a single moment in time that will never be repeated.
Before shooting his subjects, the artist uses satellite imagery to research unexplored areas which appeal to his sense of form, geometry and design. He has travelled to countless countries across every continent, making use of helicopters, airplanes and drones, typically shooting his subjects from a vertical 90-degree angle. It’s this angle which, at first glance, makes his landscapes appear as flattened two-dimensional designs. On closer inspection, however, tiny details begin to stand out and recognizable features – roads, paths, fields, lakes, rivers and waves – reveal themselves. Through his eye, these natural and man-made boundaries disappear. Viewing one of Krautgartner’s works is a journey through an ever-changing environment.

Tropical Dream

In his Tropical Dream series, photographer Kevin Krautgartner highlights coastal stretches of Seychelles, inviting viewers to enjoy nature’s beauty while simultaneously reflecting on man’s relationship with the environment. Due to location, the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels threaten these unique islands. Krautgartner intentionally chose a local that corresponds with the traditional perceptions of a tropical paradise. The goal? To demonstrate how magical, but also how fragile, nature is. Using a plane, helicopter, or drone, the artist photographs scenes where land and sea collide. He deliberately presents them as pristine dreamscapes – untouched by modern man.

Tidal Paintings

A trademark feature of the artist’s portfolio is his water photography. Constantly in motion, always changing - through Krautgartner’s lens, waterways traverse landscapes like veins in a body. His coastal portraits exhibit a painterly style, where beaches at low tide uncover patterns and shapes that exist only for a moment. The Tidal Paintings series, shot on Australian beaches, is a perfect example of this - as the last remnants of the tide ebb away, small rivulets meander through the sand, leaving salt-encrusted shores in their wake. Krautgartner captures these fleeting designs before they are washed away, ready to reappear at the next low tide. These spectacular views are at their most powerful at dusk and dawn, when the sun is at its lowest point. In these moments, his aerial photographs could be mistaken for paintings. His organic subject matter blurs the boundary between the two disciplines, inviting the viewer to gaze in awe at the natural beauty of our planet.
Krautgartner recently published a collection of his unique and surreal coastal landscapes in his first book of photography, “Water.Colors”.

Salt Shapes

The Salt Shapes series, shot in Australia and Spain, focuses on salterns – shallow man-made ponds where sea salt is extracted from the water. The different concentrations of algae in these pools lends each one a distinct color, from light blues to greens and vivid reds. The resulting photographs are both spectacular and unique: bold artworks whose stark, interlocking blocks of color recall the work of the American expressionist painter Mark Rothko. Here too, the various textures and features of the earth’s surface reveal themselves slowly to the viewer.

In Full Bloom

For his project In Full Bloom, Krautgartner turned his lens on the “flower market of the world” – Dutch tulip fields. The Netherlands is renowned for the flowers, grown in vast multicolored meadows and celebrated at spring festivals. These fascinating birds-eye views convey the true scale of the fields, arranged in row upon row of pink, white and yellow. The beauty of these images lies in the hypnotic barcode-like lines of color that divide the landscape. It’s this eye for patterns that elevates his work beyond pure documentation and into the realm of fine art.
Krautgartner lives and works in Wuppertal, Germany. His work regularly features in national and international exhibitions and magazines. He has received multiple awards, including the ADC International Award, the Fine Art Photography Award and the PX3 Award.