Paper short abstract:

When viewing scenes from a certain height, one can see colors, shapes, harmonious rhythms and graphic patterns. Seeing the world from above doesn't just flatten things. It makes spatial transformations more clear.

Paper long abstract:

Now only employed by the gadget lover in our midst, in the near future the camera drone will play an increasingly important part in our daily life. The moral objections are numerous. Opponents fear privacy violation. A drone is invisible and can fly anywhere above your head without you realizing it…

The perspective of portraits affects our perception of people. People who are photographed from a low angle are seen as powerful, while people on photos taken from above are seen as less influential. In my project I wanted to avoid this phenomenon.

In streets we run past each other, with only our own destination in mind, efficient. Other persons just bother us on our way. We especially take care not to bump into someone. We all say 'sorry' when that happens. From above you can see a sense of stability; people look focused.

From a certain height, and the same angle, I took photographs of everyone who passed the spot at the museum entrance (136 photo's). Nothing was staged; no sign of habitual gestures indicates the subject's perception of my presence.

In every single photograph a white piece of paper can be seen. It was blowing in the wind and kicked against, but it was always in the part of the street I photographed from above. When the museum closed and no more people were there, the paper remained as a lingering trace of human presence.