05 June 2009

Q&A with Yann Arthus-Bertrand: The environmentalist behind the camera

Today, photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand launched his movie Home, an environmentally conscious tour of our planet through panoramic vistas that focuses on human impact -- our mistakes and possibilities for improvement. Yann took some time out of this busy day to answer a few questions for the TEDBlog by email, going beyond his recent TEDTalk to give us insight on his attempts to document and save our home and humanity.

How was your experience at TED? Did you enjoy giving a TEDTalk?

Wonderful experience, especially the audience and the people I met during the sessions. It would be great if we did something similar to TED in France.

As you can see and hear, even with a lot of rehearsals, I’m not a great speaker. I guess that’s why I take pictures and made a movie.

Have you seen your TEDTalk online? What did you think of it?

Not yet. The last few days have been hectic.

Today is Home’s world premiere. It’s happening in more than 100 countries, in 33 languages and on 65 TV channels from Nepal to Burkina Faso, from Russia to Argentina, and of course in the United States.

Is there anything you would have liked to say in your TEDTalk, but didn’t have time to?

Don’t tempt me. I never lose an opportunity to speak about my obsession: humankind and the environment.

Why the aerial photography? How did you come to decide that this was the perspective for you? Not scared of heights, we take it?

I learned to be a hot-air balloon pilot to take tourists over the Masaï Mara Reserve, in order to earn some money and finance the work I was doing with my wife Anne. We were studying the life of a family of lions for more than two years. Taking pictures was a way to capture information we could not put in words.

What are the mechanics behind getting your aerial shots? Your website says that helicopters are best, but what do use when one isn’t available? Do you use harnesses for safety?

I have the impression that I'm photographing life, not landscapes. For me an aerial picture is no different than a close-up portrait. It’s a question of framing and angle. Helicopters are great for that. But I’ve also used planes. Of course, I always have a harness.

Any close calls when leaning out of an aircraft to capture an amazing shot? Would you like to share the story?

After Hurricane Katrina, over New Orleans, my helicopter crashed and the pilot and I were only saved because we fell on the roof of a flooded house that absorbed the shock. When the helicopter was spiraling downward out of control, I didn’t expect to survive at all.

You’re a photographer, but also an environmentalist in many ways. Was there a particular experience or time in your life, maybe in your childhood, that sparked your commitment to building awareness of our environment and your fascination with nature?

My fondness for nature goes back to childhood, but it was as an adult that I became an advocate. Like a lot of people, it was in 1992, during the Earth Summit in Rio, that for the first time I heard expressions like climate change, biodiversity, sustainable development. I felt like an urgency to act -- or to put it in another way, to use my work for this cause.

READ MORE: Yann talks about more about Home and "6 billion Others," moving from photographs to film and projects still to come.

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03 June 2009

Capturing fragile Earth in wide-angle: Yann Arthus-Bertrand on TED.com

In this image-filled talk, Yann Arthus-Bertrand displays his three most recent projects on humanity and our habitat -- stunning aerial photographs in his series "The Earth From Above," personal interviews from around the globe featured in his web project "6 billion Others," and his soon-to-be-released movie, "Home," which documents human impact on the environment through breathtaking video. (Recorded at TED2009, February 2009, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 14:55)

Watch Yann Arthus Bertrand's talk from TED2009 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances from our archive of 400+ TEDTalks.

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04 February 2009

Twitter Snapshot: Reconnect brings powerful images to TED2009

First, film producer Jake Ebert and director Jacques Perrin wowed attendees with footage from their new documentary "Oceans." On the heels of that experience came Yann-Arthus Bertrand a photographer who has embarked on a project to connect us all.

Here's the reactions from TED2009 via Twitter:

Saw audience members brought to tears by footage of Oceans. Simply incredible - #TED amazing film -- austinhill

ted - French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, ecological photography, stunning views of a ravaged earth. -- jasonsack

TED Footage from "Oceans" gave me chills. Inspiring. Moving. This movie has just staggered me. -- SdGeek

As he exposes us to beautiful art and visual images he says "We don't to believe what we know" Yann A. Bertrand #TED -- Padmasree

"Oceans" gets a standing ovation at TED. -- pjk

Amazing,Yann Arthus-Bertrand is giving away his movie to TV, Film, & online for free, use it, share it, help educate the world, Jun 5th #TED -- austinhill

TED just been shown Oceans, a wonderful movie about our waterworld. I love the positive approach; Show the beauty, show what will be missed -- eternia

It seems that the TEDsters had no problem finding their connection to these images.

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