Greyscale greatness

Tom Jacobi with one of his photos at BACC in Bangkok.

They look like pictures that could have been taken on Mars, if not heavily Photoshopped, but Tom Jacobi emphasises again and again that all his photos are of real and uncontrived structures on Earth. Ranging from deserts with pockets of water to dramatic mountain ranges, his photographs capture a world you've likely never seen before -- largely in grey tones because he has gotten up at 4am to get these shots.

"I'm usually there from 3-5am waiting for the first light," the 62-year-old explains his process. "It's actually not only black and white, there is some blue, too, but I don't like colour. It's like a juggler -- noisy and distracting. I want my photos to be contemplative and meditative." And anyway, "without sunlight, there is no colour. It's all an illusion because the world we see is different from what any animal sees, be it dogs or bugs". Travelling around the world for four years for his "Awakening" trilogy of photos, Jacobi has weathered the most extremes of weather in order to arrive at these otherworldly and barren areas. Seeing it as the best part of his work, Jacobi says: "I love to excruciate myself to get my photos, to fight the elements and to accept the environment -- it's all part of my photography. I absolutely believe that my photos become better, more intense, if I'm willing to suffer for them. And I absolutely love sitting for hours or days at a location, just observing how a landscape permanently changes and unfolds itself in front of my eyes. I don't have to tell myself anything to keep going. I only have to say at one point: You really have to get up and leave now."

Although he is no climate change photographer, his work inevitably touches on the subject, as these amazing land forms were created over millions of years, reminiscent of how the world was before we came along. Many of the locations he has shot will no longer exist that way in a few decades. The core message is then for humanity to reconnect with our surroundings and to look into ourselves, if we are to have any chance at saving the world. Ultimately, the meaning he has found in the landscapes all echo that nature can live without us, but we cannot live without nature.

During a recent talk in Bangkok, the German photographer talked about his excruciating process and what the future holds for some of these places threatened by climate change. His photographs, which were displayed as part of The Royal Photographic Society of Thailand's immense exhibition "Beyond The Air We Breathe: Addressing Climate Change" at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, are no longer in town, so we picked 10 of the most mesmerising destinations he has covered. Jacobi has also shared some background so you can recreate your own shots -- if not to see these majestic locales of nature with your own eyes before they disappear.

Wave Rock "This wave rock is 110m long and was created over thousands of years. There is energetic and spiritual meaning to it. Australia is highly threatened by climate change because it's so close to Antarctica and it's heating up. More humidity affects this area and it could face major droughts."

Kannesteinen Rock "It's like a piece of art by Mother Nature. Standing 4-5m tall, it was created by the crushing waves of the Atlantic Ocean."

Giant's Causeway "These hexagonal stones are all made by nature. But it will be affected by climate change and by 2060, it will be covered by water so you won't be able to see it anymore."

Lake Abraham Don't rule out the man-made just yet. This lake in Alberta is artificial and the first picture shows tracks that have been cut in the frozen lake. "There's methane gas bubbling and it's frozen in the winter. Even artificial landscapes can be beautiful."

Lake Abraham Don't rule out the man-made just yet. This lake in Alberta is artificial and the first picture shows tracks that have been cut in the frozen lake. "There's methane gas bubbling and it's frozen in the winter. Even artificial landscapes can be beautiful."

Zao Onsen "When snow from Siberia flies in and gets hit by the wind, it creates these snow monsters."

Moeraki Boulders "These stones have eroded from the cliffs and fell down onto the beach."

Salar de Uyuni You will have seen this scenery before, but Jacobi's version of it feels like a completely new place. Clouds are everything, so if you're willing to wait for hours for the right reflection, you may get a shot like this too. "It's like a drug — not that I have had any before — but you really don't know when it starts or ends. The sad thing is they found lithium under it, which is the gold of the future to make electric cars and batteries. When they go mining for lithium, this salt lake will be gone."

Deadvlei This white clay plain used to be a very green lush marsh with rivers, animals and birds before it all disappeared. "The trees there are 900 years old and they are hard like rock. There's no insect alive to even eat away at them."

Dettifoss Waterfall, Kikjufell and Hvitserkur "Iceland is not like Ibiza, it is harsh and demanding. I had to wait four days and nights for the winds to stop to get that reflection shot. Even solid stuff like rocks is affected [by climate change]. The ocean is rising 3cm per year and eventually this cove would collapse. If you ever have the chance to visit, you must. If you don't like Iceland, wait five minutes because the weather would have changed by then. It's beautiful, but harsh."

Dettifoss Waterfall, Kikjufell and Hvitserkur "Iceland is not like Ibiza, it is harsh and demanding. I had to wait four days and nights for the winds to stop to get that reflection shot. Even solid stuff like rocks is affected [by climate change]. The ocean is rising 3cm per year and eventually this cove would collapse. If you ever have the chance to visit, you must. If you don't like Iceland, wait five minutes because the weather would have changed by then. It's beautiful, but harsh."

Dettifoss Waterfall, Kikjufell and Hvitserkur "Iceland is not like Ibiza, it is harsh and demanding. I had to wait four days and nights for the winds to stop to get that reflection shot. Even solid stuff like rocks is affected [by climate change]. The ocean is rising 3cm per year and eventually this cove would collapse. If you ever have the chance to visit, you must. If you don't like Iceland, wait five minutes because the weather would have changed by then. It's beautiful, but harsh."

Jokulsarlon Lagoon "Glaciers break into the lagoon and the waves throw them back onto the beach. People ask if I have Photoshopped or set this up but I haven't — it's like sculptures from nature. I think women like this shot because it reminds them of huge diamonds!"

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park You are not reading this wrong: these are white sand dunes with water in between them. "Even though one can go anywhere these days, it's [still] so fascinating. Plus, there aren't many tourists, because it is hard to get to. It's like a huge cotton ball: so clean, pure, untouched. It feels like being Alice in Wonderland."

Tom Jacobi has an exhibition at Gallery Petra Gut Contemporary in Zurich, Switzerland.