Olivo Barbieri: The Waterfall Project

Hovering in a helicopter some 300 to 500 feet above ground, Italian photographer Olivo Barbieri makes cities and landscapes look like children's toys or highly-detailed miniature models. Having shot cities like Rome and Las Vegas from above in the past, his current series aptly called "The Waterfall Project" looks at four of the largest waterfalls in the world.

Using a large-format camera that allows him to play with the layers of focus in a picture, Barbieri turns real scenes into spaces that seem impossible. But despite their unreal feel, all of his images have been created by carefully controlling the optical techniques of his camera and haven't been digitally altered or distorted after shooting.

Hovering in a helicopter some 300 to 500 feet above ground, Italian photographer Olivo Barbieri makes cities and landscapes look like children's toys or highly-detailed miniature models. Having shot cities like Rome and Las Vegas from above in the past, his current series aptly called "The Waterfall Project" looks at four of the largest waterfalls in the world.


Using a large-format camera that allows him to play with the layers of focus in a picture, Barbieri turns real scenes into spaces that seem impossible. But despite their unreal feel, all of his images have been created by carefully controlling the optical techniques of his camera and haven't been digitally altered or distorted after shooting.

Yancey Richardson Gallery