The Earth from above story:
Started in 1994, the “Earth from above” project was born from Yab’s dream for a general survey on the state of the Earth at the eve of the 21st century… an in depth project involving quite considerable means as well as a truly rigorous approach, that could only materialise through the passion and determination of the whole team.
Year 2000 was almost upon us, and I wanted to tackle an ambitious long-term project. Since the lions, nature has been one of my chief concerns, though I was then less committed to sustainable development and more interested in the preservation of exceptional sites. However, working on location soon made me realise that Man cannot be dissociated from the landscape. Gradually, I became convinced that supporting the theories on sustainability was the way towards a reasoned form of development.”
Nobody believed in the “Earth from above” project: two hundred letters sent to potential partners remained for the most part without answer. After much battling to bring others to share their views on such a worthwhile enterprise, the team managed to assemble the necessary logistic and financial support.Under the patronage of UNESCO, the team was invited to fly over certain countries. The CLUB MED ordered a book on its holiday villages seen from the air: it was a start. More help came from the making of such books as Kuwait from above, Morocco from the air… And from contracts with magazines for aerial subject…Another important support came from FUJIFILM in the form of free film and processing. And Yab borrowed money and invested his own.
Early in 1999, Yab suddenly has doubts (“”Having doubts is second nature to me””): he does not feel ready to publish yet, wants to spend one more year flying and collecting views. Hervé de LA MARTINI?RE will insist that he must come through on schedule. Yab’s ambition is that the book be popular, financially accessible to all: the publisher leaves him free to make the book he wants and name the public price.
As a result of this project, the team has been to over 150 countries to date, photographs of thousands of sites have been taken, and it still monopolises a great deal of time and energy from all involved.
