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Travel
Tom Hegen’s Mediterranean Shoreline Photo Series
Published 6:16 AM EDT, Fri August 10, 2018
Natural intervention: Hegen also photographed salt farms in Europe, a more pointed comment on how human activity interferes with nature.Unusual angle: Photographer Tom Hegen captures the beauty of the Mediterranean coastline in his incredible aerial photographs.Human intervention: The photo series doesn’t just spotlight the region’s beauty. It also highlights the environmental impact of human intervention in the region.Changing landscapes: “The basic interest for me in my aerial photography is I try to show human altered-landscapes, so how we as humans change and intervene in our environment,” Hegen tells CNN Travel.Aerial vantage point: The water in the Mediterranean is often translucent, which Hegen captures in his aerial pictures.Juxtapositions: “The idea was to explore a sort of integrated interaction of people with the landscape around the coastlines,” he adds.Popular destinations: The Mediterranean coastline is one of the most popular vacation destinations — comprising countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.Crowded spot: “Every year over 220 million people spend their holiday along the coast of the Mediterranean,” says Hegen.Coastal protection: There isn’t much being done along the coastline to protect it: “Located in southern Europe, it is also one of the most crowded and least protected regions in the world,” adds Hegen.Boat life: Hegen’s photographs don’t feature many people — but they do highlight the number of boats in the water.Changing coastline: “Almost every square meter is altered by man over thousands of years,” says Hegen.Colorful pictures: Hegen hopes his images evoke “the color, mood, and texture of the Mediterranean.”People and places: There aren’t many people in the photos, which mostly focus on the natural terrain. In this image, the beaches are dotted with towels and umbrellas.Environmental conscious: Hegen isn’t advocating that we stop vacationing along the Mediterranean, but he wants travelers to be more conscious of the environment.Versatile destination: In fact he thinks the countries along the coast, including Spain and France, are some of the best places to vacation.Diverse landscapes: “Due to the density of countries, the Mediterranean is one of the most versatile places to experience European and other cultures,” Hegen adds.Varied terrain: “Even when it covers a comparable small place on earth, the landscape and culture can vary a lot,” says Hegen.Vessel for change: The photographer hopes his images will be a vessel for change: “For me the photos are basically an access to get the viewers’ attention to certain topics.”Bird’s-eye view: The photographer uses helicopters and drones to take the images.
