Industrial Scars: Landscapes Destructed by Industrialization

Industrial Scars is an environmental photography project by American photographer J Henry Fair, which explores the detritus of our consumer society, through large-scale aerial photo shoots and accompanying documentary research. Industrial Scars subjects range from oil drilling and coal ash waste to large-scale agricultural production and abandoned mining operations. In small airplanes, Fair circles above industrial areas and photographs with a bird's eye perspective the effects these operations have on our environment. Through his project, J Henry Fair has called attention to environmental and political problems in different regions of the world including the global warming process, environmental pollution, and habitat destruction - all of which are illustrated in Fair's photographs.


Plumes of bauxite waste at an aluminum manufacturing plant. Darrow, Louisiana, USA, December 2005

Inside a holding tank at an oil sands upgrader facility. Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, July 2009

A power plant flushes toxic waste generated in the course of its operation. Paynvil, South Carolina, USA, 2009. 

Herbicide manufacturing plant, Luling, Louisiana, USA, 2010

An oil spill caused by the explosion of semi-submersible oil rig Deepwater Horizon. The explosion caused one of the largest environmental disasters in the world. Gulf of Mexico, USA, 2010. 

Outlet pipe from phosphate waste impoundment. Lakeland, Florida, USA, 2007

Waste pond near brown coal-fired power station. Lausitz, Germany, 2010

Wastes from a coal power plant. Moncks Corner, South Carolina, 2009.

Wastes from another coal power plant Canadice, South Carolina, 2009. 

Sulphur wastes from the tar sands extraction. Fort McMurray, Canada, 2009 Canadian oil sands