Fading Reefs 11

Reefs are bars of rock, sand, coral or similar material, lying beneath the surface of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes like deposition of sand or wave erosion planing down rock outcrops, but the best known reefs are the tropical coral reefs developed through biotic processes dominated by corals and coralline algae.

Tropical coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystems on earth, giving shelter to thousands of animal species. Many millions of people depend on fisheries, tourism and coastal protection provided by healthy coral reefs.

Yet today, coral reefs are dying at an alarming rate. Coral bleaching is caused by rising water temperatures which, when severe, kills the coral.

My images show the beauty of these unique coral and algae systems. I hope they remind all that what we do on land impacts our oceans.

"See the world from a different perspective — an unusual one. The view from the air is fascinating. In my work, however, photography does not merely document our environment from this atypical perspective; it is much more a (creative) representation of conditions such as structures and forms in their uniqueness. Since nature is in a constant state of change, be it short or long term, each of my works captures a moment that will never happen again. Often the places shown in my works surround us directly, but due to our close proximity, they can hardly be perceived the same way. Whether it is nature or our human influence on it, the result is abstract, partly geometric, but also surreal worlds, which I want to make accessible to everyone."


Kevin Krautgartner is a German architectural and landscape photographer, best known for his aerial images of urban and large ground spaces highlighting the aesthetic value of colors, lines and geometric patterns in them. His oeuvre has been awarded at international contests, and featured in mainstream media.

Krautgartner currently lives and works in Wuppertal, Germany. He graduated from the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts with a degree in photography and graphic design. Digital photography is the basis for his work today. He uses helicopters and light planes to capture his objects -architectural interiors, urban skylines, remote landscapes- from different perspectives which he later uses to digitally select and frame aesthetically appealing views. His landscapes include icy mountains, volcanoes, glaciers, fjords and salt fields in many countries.

Kevin Krautgartner