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Bangkok From Above: Aerial photographs that get close to Thailand's people

The muted tones, the symmetrical patterns of infrastructure, the lone characters going about their day – what's not to love about the aerial photography of Robert Götzfried?

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All images courtesy of copyright of Robert Götzfried. Via Creative Boom submission.

All images courtesy of copyright of Robert Götzfried. Via Creative Boom submission.

You might remember his Looking Down on Munich series from a few years back. Now he's launched Bangkok From Above, giving us a bird's eye view of Thailand's thriving capital.

The aerial shots follow the same format: he picks out the patterns and shapes found on the city streets and captures a passing local or two, hurrying past. It not only reveals a little of Bangkok's character, but it also gives us a fleeting glimpse into daily lives – a construction worker crossing a road, two school girls hurrying to classes, an old couple patiently finding their way.

"I captured everyday situations from above trying to create the biggest possible distance to these individuals," explains Robert. "In a way, these people are nothing more than graphical elements that break the pattern of the ground. If a particular person is happy, sad, or something else is not important. I leave it up to the viewer to make up their own story."

Born and raised in Lindau, Germany, Robert Götzfried is the Design Project Leader at McKinsey & Company, lecturer for photography at Schule für Gestaltung Ravensburg, and, a freelance photographer. Discover more: www.robert-goetzfried.com.

Overhead view of a person in dark clothing standing next to four white buckets on a grey tiled Bangkok street
Aerial view of a teal umbrella on a patterned street with grey tiles, red sections and textured brown pavement, with a person visible nearby
Aerial view of two people walking across a striped concrete pavement in Bangkok, photographed from directly above
Overhead view of a person wearing a straw hat and blue checkered shirt standing next to a wooden cart on a tiled pavement in Bangkok
Aerial view of a person holding a dark blue umbrella on a grey paved street, casting a geometric shadow below
Overhead view of two school girls in green uniforms walking on a Bangkok street next to a flowerbed, photographed from directly above
Overhead shot of a person in a purple jacket walking across a grey tiled pavement next to a red and white striped curb with snow
Aerial view of a person in a blue jacket walking across a grey pavement with two rectangular tactile paving strips, shot from directly above
Overhead view of a person holding a pink umbrella on a grey tiled pavement, casting a shadow on the ground
Woman in white shirt viewed from directly above walking across a geometric patterned pavement with red and grey tiles in Bangkok
Aerial view of a person in dark clothing walking across a geometric patterned pavement beside a curved road in Bangkok
Aerial view of a person in a green hat walking across a patterned brick pavement, casting a long shadow
Aerial view of two people on a patterned pavement, one in white shirt and one in pink, casting long shadows on the grey tiles below
Aerial view of a person with a bright turquoise umbrella and dark bag walking across a geometric patterned pavement of grey and pink tiles
Aerial view of a person in white clothing walking across a grey pavement with yellow tactile paving strips and metal drainage pipes
Person in bright blue jacket viewed from directly above, walking across a geometric grid of grey and red floor tiles
Person in white shirt viewed from directly above on a geometric patterned street in Bangkok with burgundy and grey tiles
Overhead view of two people in school uniforms walking across a geometric patterned pavement with white stripes and a rectangular manhole cover
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