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Looking Down on Munich: A fascinating bird's eye view of a German city

It's always surprising to discover a different perspective to a city you thought you knew so well. But that's exactly what photographer Robert Götzfried wants you to feel with his ongoing Look Down on Munich series.

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Via direct submission. All images by and courtesy of Robert Götzfried

Via direct submission. All images by and courtesy of Robert Götzfried

Taking enticing shots from above, he picks out unusual architecture and abstract patterns and shapes, often with lonely individuals forming the central point to each image.

He was recently commissioned by Canon Europe to share some of his beautiful bird's eye images for its Come & See marketing campaign. Speaking to Canon, Robert said: "Munich is the third-largest city in Germany and known for a variety of reasons – football, Oktoberfest and white sausages. It is also the city I like to call my home. I always wanted to capture 'my city' in my own way.

"My work is very graphically-oriented – straight lines and patterns. I like to photograph scenes and objects with clear sense and order. I think this is a side effect of being a graphic designer as well as a photographer. I always think of grids, shapes, lines, patterns and colours."

As for the subjects Robert picks out, he wants us to make up our own minds about them: "I'm trying to create a visual world parallel to my own. It is up to the viewer to tell his or her own story about the scenes and objects in my paintings. This is a recurring theme in my work – to leave it to others to come up with their own stories. And I'm sure they do."

Person in dark clothing viewed from directly above on grey pavement beside a section of white stone paving, casting a sharp shadow
Person viewed from above standing on concrete pavement next to a doorway, casting a long shadow in bright sunlight
Person holding a phone stood on striped paving viewed from directly above, creating a geometric composition of alternating light and dark stone tiles
Aerial view of a solitary person casting a long shadow on grey concrete, positioned between white cylindrical structures and geometric lines
Aerial view of a person in white standing next to a blue vehicle and staircase on grey pavement with reversed white text above
Person in red jacket viewed from above on tiled pavement next to a red and yellow object, part of Robert Götzfried's Look Down on Munich series
Aerial view of two people on a grey pavement with white diagonal stripes, their shadows cast across the striped surface
Person in bright green jacket walking across paved street next to geometric cobblestone pattern, shot from directly above
Aerial view of a person in a blue jacket lying on a grey paved surface near a yellow-rimmed manhole cover and a yellow and black striped bollard
Person in bright green jacket walking alone on grey pavement beside a decorative cobblestone border, shot from directly above
Aerial view of a solitary person in light-coloured clothing standing on grey pavement beside a bright blue object, casting a long shadow
Person in white shirt and blue jeans stands on grey pavement next to a metal loading ramp, viewed from directly above
Aerial view of a person in dark clothing walking down a concrete staircase casting a long shadow, with geometric patterns and text visible on the surrounding surfaces
Aerial view of a person in a blue jacket standing beside a potted plant on a grey paved surface
Aerial view of a person with curly hair standing on grey paved ground next to a metallic street lamp, casting a shadow across the tiles
Person standing centred on geometric paving tiles with diagonal shadow patterns from above
Person in dark clothing viewed from directly above on a paved street with geometric shadows and text reading "ALKERBRUE" and "WIEN
Overhead view of a person in dark clothing standing on dark asphalt beside a geometric pattern of white and grey tiles on a Munich street
A person in a light blue jacket walks across a grey paved surface, casting long shadows, connected by a red line to another figure lying on the ground above in Robert Götzfried's aerial composition
Aerial view of a solitary person in a beige coat standing on a curved concrete surface in Munich
Person in blue jacket standing on patterned ground beneath a long shadow cast by a tall structure in Robert Götzfried's aerial photograph of Munich
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