Aerial Pools By Stephan Zirwes

“Pools often have nice structures and sometimes also strange designs,” says Stuttgart-based photographer Stephan Zirwes. Indeed, from his 1,000-foot high vantage point, he makes an array of otherwise ordinary swimming pools look intriguing and inspiring.

Sitting in a helicopter hovering above pools, and other man-made or natural sites, Zirwes uses a Hasselblad 50 MP camera to shoot the scenes beneath him. The Sony World Photography award winner places the earth first: lines and patterns around the pools land are explored in his images. Human movement is secondary to his work, the figures in his photos can be seen but cannot be distinguished. Zirwes then uses Photoshop to edit the images, taking out any distractions such as irregular buildings and makes a “frame” around the swimming pool. The final outcome is an extensive series of images that distort one’s perspective and draw attention to the patterns and paths that we often take for granted while on ground level. His aerial images also serve to illuminate the great vastness and diversity of the pools on our planet.