Taken from a vertical perspective, Kevin Krautgartner’s photographs of crashing waves conjure the power and beauty of our oceans. Captured along the coast of Western Australia, the images revel in the clarity and textures of the water and shoreline, where “wind, swell, and underwater topography creates some of the most powerful and visually striking wave formations I’ve ever encountered,” he says.
Krautgartner’s latest series is titled Waves | Ocean Forces. Turquoise water swirls, sprays, rolls, and washes over the sand, focused so specifically that the phenomenon appears nearly abstracted. The artist spends time planning and waiting for ideal weather conditions and swells in order to snap the high-resolution images, some of which he plans to transform into large-format prints.
While taking an analytical approach to waves, considering their physical properties and geologic impact, Krautgartner is also interested evoking our emotional connection to the ocean. “Waves have always fascinated me—not just as shapes, but as fleeting configurations of energy shaped by global and local forces,” he says. “What drew me to Western Australia was the possibility to witness this process at its most intense and most precise.”
Krautgartner’s work is currently on view through the end of January with Livia Lisboa Fotokunst in Hamburg, and he’s prepping for another solo exhibition in 2026. Find more on Behance, Instagram, and his website, where you can purchase prints.
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