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Earth from Above

Canon helps capture the world from the air

Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a man passionate about perfection. "When I see something, I don't see the 98% that is right. I see the 2% that can be improved".

Yann has just opened an exhibition in Denmark and is engaged in animated discussion with his team over a detail of the stage layout. "Photography is so easy" he says. "The difference is this". Yann squints and holds up thumb and index finger barely apart, suggesting the tiniest of margins.

Yann's 'Earth from Above' exhibitions are breathtaking in their simplicity. Enormous photographs of devastating beauty - all taken from the air and all with consistent size and format - are mounted on simple outdoor stands spread over a wide public area. People walking past are drawn in to wander amongst the pictures free of charge, losing track of time as they become immersed in the grandeur of Yann's work.

[eye of the maldives]
"When I see something...I see the
2% that can be improved"

A question of impact

"So many people are doing photography. It is so easy to do nice photography. But it is so difficult to succeed. Why?" Yann shrugs and gazes over at the people staring at his images.

Yet it is not so difficult to see the reason's for Yann's success. 'Earth from the Air' is a brilliant piece of communication. Every photograph is accompanied by a caption which links the image to an issue of sustainable development. The exhibition becomes a reflection on our planet and its inhabitants, creating awareness without prescription amongst its visitors. Through Yann's work we are witness to the imprint man is leaving on our delicate planet.

[grand prismatic spring]

From a great height

Yann's photographs are taken from helicopters at altitudes between 30m and 3000m. On any given shoot he will use up to ten Canon EOS 1N bodies. The large aperture of his L series EF lenses allows him to shoot at the high shutter speeds necessary to overcome rotor vibrations, while the EF lens' flat field of focus ensures detail is sharply resolved right across the entire image - critical for such large format landscape prints.

"I have been working with Canon now for 25 years. When you work with a camera for years and years, it is very difficult to change. The people at Canon - I have known them for so long. They are all my friends - they come to my birthday, you know? Canon are looking at what the photographer wants. This is the strength of Canon. They have built a relationship with the photographer".

[great barrier reef]
"It is an optimistic way to
think about pessimistic things"

Changing the world

The emotion one has on leaving an 'Earth from Above' exhibition is complex and difficult to pin down. There is a sense of elation; of having witnessed something remarkable and transforming - but it is tinged with a sense of urgency that something must be done right now to protect the planet's remaining beauty.

"Usually when people are 20 years old, they are optimistic. They think they can change the world. Then afterwards, when they become 40, 50, they say it is impossible to change anything. But for me it was the contrary. When I was 20 I did not feel like it was possible to make a difference; I was not interested in making sense of my life. But now I really feel as if this is the right time to make a change. I am becoming more and more optimistic.

"I was recently doing a big story about Europe which involved flying over the vast war cemeteries in the north of France. All these young men died - and for what? For borders. Now Europe is a working association; a fellowship. We have compassion. Compassion for each other and compassion for others. People are starting to care.

"You cannot do this sort of work if you are pessimistic. Of course the world still faces many problems. But perhaps this is part of the success of this project: It is an optimistic way to think about pessimistic things".

[sand bank]

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