Above:Vacay, Miami Beach, Florida, USASydney-born aerial photographerBrad Wallsspent three years documenting pools around the world, shooting public and private bodies of water across Australia, South East Asia, the United States and Mexico. With an eye for unusual composition and the role that negative space, symmetry and leading lines plays in aerial photography,Pools From Aboveis an arresting look at the world viewed from above. Walls has managed to capture the geometric beauty of swimming pools, and has even secured imagery from mid-century marvel likeRichard Neutra’s Kaufman housein Palm Springs andJohn Lautner’s Garcia house.Here, in this extract from the introduction to the book, Walls explains the journey of the book and the roots of his fascination with pools.Produced over a span of three years in four countries,Pools From Aboveis the culmination of my long journey to discover the beauty in commonplace landscapes seen from unexpected vantages.Initially inspired by my travels throughout Southeast Asia and Australia, I began capturing bodies of water to document holiday memories. It wasn’t until pickingup Splash: The Art of the Swimming Poolby Annie Kelly that I invested time into curating my own series. As I turned each page of Kelly’s book, a wave of nostalgia washed over me, taking me back to summer days swimming in my childhood pool. Paying homage to Kelly, I chose to explicitly experiment with negative space, compositional balance, leading lines and symmetry. As such, the series emphasises the pools’ less appreciated elements that I fell in love with—their curves, sharp edges, diverse blue hues and the way elongated shadows play against their surfaces. This is all lost without an alternate viewpoint.As much as I’m drawn to their visual features, I’ve come to learn that pools have distinct personalities—some evoking a sense of tranquillity, others a more solemn feeling. Pools, often appreciated merely as architectural objects, retain an innate ability to trigger involuntary memories. For me, they can evoke the smell of my favourite food, or resurrect memories of my favourite holidays.As I look back at the 89 images, I’m reminded that the most harmonious visual elements of our world remain hidden to us—until we view them from a new perspective. Swimming pools are one of these subjects.Babylon, Vaucluse, NSW, AustraliaBreathe, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaEscapism, The Bird Streets, California, USAFall, Toorak, Victoria, AustraliaGarcia, J.Lautner, Nichols Canyon, California, USARetro, Tulum, Quintana Roo, MexicoKauffman I, R.Neutra, Palm Springs, California, USALe Chacuel, Yucca Valley, California, USALollipop, Malibu, California, USARomantacism, Bel-Air, California, USASwan, Malibu, California, USAThe Unknown Hue,Cuadra San Cristobal, Mexico City, MexicoSHOP NOW:Pools From Aboveby Brad Walls (Street Smith Books), $59.95 fromBooktopiaWant moreVogue Living?Sign up to theVogue Livingnewsletterfor your weekly dose of design news and interiors inspiration.