Aerial view of a small rocky island surrounded by blue water, densely packed with colorful houses featuring red roofs, green patches, and a marina with boats.From Archipelago by Bernhard Lang

The Nordic country of Sweden has over 260,000 islands — the most of any country in the entire world. Recently, photographer Bernhard Lang explored a handful of them from above, picking out patterns that are invisible from the ground.

Although the majority of Sweden’s 267,000 islands are uninhabited, Lang picked out “rooftops glimmering like mosaics across the islands” that merge with rock and sea for a series he calls Archipelago.

“I had seen photos taken from the ground of Sweden’s west coast and heard from friends who had traveled there that the area is truly beautiful,” Lang tells PetaPixel. “I have been particularly interested in how these colorful wooden houses are built so harmoniously into the natural surroundings and rocky landscape.”

Aerial view of a small rocky island covered with tightly packed houses with red roofs, surrounded by blue ocean water; docks and boats line the island’s edges.From Archipelago by Bernhard Lang Aerial view of a coastal town with red-roofed houses clustered along a winding blue waterway lined with boats, surrounded by rocky terrain and greenery.From Archipelago by Bernhard Lang Aerial view of a coastal village with red-roofed houses clustered among rocky terrain, several docks extending into a greenish-blue harbor, and a tennis court near the top center of the image.From Archipelago by Bernhard Lang

Lang flew in a small aircraft from the city of Gothenburg northward to Smögen for roughly four hours. He also flew a drone for additional shots.

“The images often capture the three primary colors of the RGB,” Lang says. “Warm red-orange on roofs, the green of meadows, and the deep blue of surrounding waters.”

“Together they form a visual rhythm that reveals the subtle interplay between human settlement and the elemental landscape,” he adds.

Aerial view of a small island town with densely packed red-roofed buildings, surrounded by blue water and marinas with boats. Bridges connect the island to the mainland, and several boats sail nearby.From Archipelago by Bernhard Lang Aerial view of a coastal town with red-roofed houses densely packed on both sides of a narrow waterway, boats docked along the shores, and a single sailboat sailing in the center.From Archipelago by Bernhard Lang Aerial view of a marina with boats docked around a pier featuring red-roofed buildings and rocky outcrops, surrounded by greenish-blue water.From Archipelago by Bernhard Lang Aerial view of a rocky island with red-roofed buildings, tennis courts, and small docks surrounded by deep blue water. Several boats and yachts are seen in the water and at marina piers nearby.From Archipelago by Bernhard Lang
Aerial view of a rocky island with scattered houses and buildings, surrounded by deep blue sea. Dense trees cover parts of the island, and boats are visible near the harbor area at the shoreline.From Archipelago by Bernhard Lang

Lang is a professional fine art photographer, best known for his project Aerial Views, which he has been shooting since 2010. In 2022, PetaPixel featured his photos of the Boneyard in Tucson, Arizona, which show thousands of decommissioned military aircraft; rows and rows of fighter jets, helicopters, and huge cargo planes.

Lang likes to explore striking patterns, structures, and perspectives seen from above, offering a unique view of the world. His work has received numerous international accolades, including first prizes at the Sony World Photography Awards (2015), the International Photography Awards (IPA 2015), and the ND Awards (2020).

More of Bernhard Lang’s photos can be seen on his website, Instagram, and X.

Image credits: Photographs by Bernhard Lang.