Tom Hegen is an award-winning aerial photographer from Germany. Taking to the sky in hot air balloons, helicopters, and prop planes, Hegen shows us the world from above.
In Salt Series II, Hegan captures the unexpected beauty of salt production in action. The process starts with seawater being pumped into huge evaporation ponds, where the intense energy from the sun and wind work together to concentrate the water and create perfect conditions for salt creation. The vivid hues come from the pools’ microbacteria, which change color as the salt concentration rises.
Once the ponds are completely dry, a ten-inch layer of salt is ready to harvest, wash, and transport around the world.
The clear lines and right angles of Hegen’s work guide our gaze. Regarding his compositions, Hegen says: “I always shoot straight down with no perspective. This gives the pictures a high degree of abstraction and blurs the lines between photography and painting.”
Watch Hegen at work on this series in the short video below:
