Photographer Aindreas Scholz has spent the past four years exploring coastal regions from Shetland to the Baltic Sea, the Arctic, and the Arabian Gulf, developing a unique approach to photography that eschews traditional camera use. Rather than capturing conventional images of landscapes, Scholz’s work involves creating photographic prints through direct interaction with natural elements in their environment.

Scholz’s technique, which he describes as “climate-adapted cyanotypes,” builds on a 19th-century photographic printing process. Cyanotype printing involves treating paper with a light-sensitive iron-salt solution and exposing it to sunlight to produce characteristic deep blue images, historically used for technical drawings and scientific documentation. However, Scholz adapts this method by incorporating local environmental conditions and materials in the creation process.

While living and working in the Middle East, Scholz was inspired to experiment with the intense sunlight, sand, and seawater of the region. He began to view environmental factors not as variables to be controlled but as active participants in shaping the final image. Using heavy 350gsm watercolor paper—chosen for its durability—he coats it with the chemical solution and exposes it to natural light. Scholz incorporates water from the immediate surroundings, often polluted seawater, along with salt, sediment, and organic matter sourced locally, allowing these elements to influence the print.

Unlike traditional cyanotype procedures, Scholz does not perform the final wash that normally fixes the image. By leaving this step incomplete, he permits the chemistry and environmental residues to continue reacting with the paper after exposure. This ongoing process causes color shifts, staining, oxidation, and other material changes that further evolve the artwork as it dries.

The resulting images defy straightforward interpretation. For example, pieces from Scholz’s series "And So I Watch You From Afar" challenge viewers’ perception of scale and context. The prints might evoke microscopic views of bacteria in a petri dish or aerial perspectives of shifting coastlines, with the title suggesting a sense of distance and observation.

Through this innovative blend of historical photographic techniques and direct engagement with natural elements, Scholz’s work offers a distinctive fusion of art and environment, inviting reflection on the dynamic forces shaping coastal landscapes.