I realised I wanted to be an aerial photographer when I looked out of a window while flying over Russia one day. I saw huge rivers, never-ending forests and geological formations – and I knew instantly that I had to capture that view of the Earth.
I took this last year on the coast of Andalusia, southern Spain, over the Mar del Plastico, which means “sea of plastic”. It’s 350 square kilometres completely covered in greenhouses that grow millions of tons of fruit and vegetables to be exported to western Europe. There are negatives: the area has a big environmental impact because of the huge amounts of water pumped out of the ground, and most of the people working there are Moroccans on poor wages. But a lot of people are glad it’s there – my pilot said it is a big source of income for Spain.
I have read articles saying I strap myself under aeroplanes to take my photographs. That would be very adventurous, but it’s not correct. I shoot out of open doors on aeroplanes and helicopters. The first time I did it, I was so sick I was glad when it was over. These days I concentrate so hard on the photos, I have no room for fear. But I am still happy to touch down on the ground.
We flew for about three hours the day I took this. It was cloudy. The forecast was for sun, but the weather never goes the way I plan it. In the end, though, I was happy it wasn’t bright; you can get huge shadows when the sun comes out, and the soft light actually helped here. When I’m in the air, I shoot like hell: I take between 1,000 and 2,000 pictures. But I only keep the strongest. This was one of 20 I kept.
The contrast between the beauty of the Earth and the impact of humans on it is an important part of my work. Sometimes I feel sad about humanity’s impact, but I don’t want to preach and there is beauty to observe. The greenhouses are built into the landscape, so none of them are completely straight, which makes for some amazing patterns. This shot looks like an abstract painting to me.
About half of the produce that comes from these farms is exported to Germany, where I live. I think about this photo every time I go to the supermarket. The big chains, like Aldi and Lidl, stock a lot of these mass-produced fruit and vegetables, which just don’t taste as good. It changed my shopping habits for good.
CV
Born: 1970, in Crailsheim, Germany
Studied: Three-year photography apprenticeship in Munich.
Influences: “There are really good aerial photographers out there but I avoid being influenced by their work. I don’t want to repeat things.”
HIgh point: “Winning the professional travel category at the Sony world photography awards this year.”
Low point: “A few years back I wasn’t getting much work and I considered going back into commercial photography. I’m glad I didn’t now.”
Top tip: “Make sure you like flying and have a lot of cash. This is an expensive job.”
• Bernhard Lang’s work is at Galerie Liusa Wang, Paris, until 20 July.
