About
Alexander Kesselaar
Aerial and coastal photographer, based in Oyster Bay in Sydney's south. On a good morning you'll find him at Cronulla at sunrise, drone in hand.
The story
A life behind the camera
Alexander has been around cameras all his life, first in his father's television studio in Germany and, since 2000, on the Sydney coast. Kess Gallery is where his personal work lives.
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Bremen, Germany
Behind the camera from the start
Alexander grew up in Bremen. His father, Rudi Carrell, was a comedian and television star, so film sets and studios were part of everyday life. As soon as he was old enough he went to work in his father's studio, learning film, television and photography from the ground up.
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2000 · Sydney
A new coastline
At 23 he moved to Sydney, where he met Kylie. The beaches, national parks and waterways made such an impression that he studied photography and video production here, and the coast has been his subject ever since.
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2018 · Kess Media
A studio of his own
He founded Kess Media, a photo, video and drone production company based in the Sutherland Shire, and flies as a CASA-licensed drone pilot. Clients include Austrade, Transport for NSW, Sydney Metro, NSW Health, CBRE and Thoughtworks.
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Today · Oyster Bay
Kess Gallery
Kess Gallery is the personal work: the ocean pools, headlands and beaches he returns to again and again, edited by Alexander himself and printed to order. It's a family business, run from Oyster Bay by Alexander and Kylie, with Georgia behind the Journal and social media.
Content and creative
Georgia Kesselaar
Alexander's daughter Georgia is the voice of Kess Gallery. She writes the Journal and the story behind each new print, runs the gallery's social media and makes sure people can find it online. At Kess Media she's Content and Creative Lead, and she leads the image curation after every shoot. Her own first collection for the gallery is on the way.
The work
From first light to your wall
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First light
Most of the coast work happens at sunrise, when the light is low and warm and the beaches are still quiet. The right morning comes down to wind, swell and tide.
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From above
From the air the coast turns into pattern and colour: the geometry of an ocean pool, the line where the sand meets the swell.
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Made for your wall
Each image is edited by Alexander himself, then printed to order as acrylic, canvas, canvas float or fine art paper and delivered free Australia-wide.
Where he flies
Shop all prints
Commissions
Have a place in mind?
The beach you grew up on, the pool you swim in every morning. Commission Alexander to photograph it from the air, at the right light and the right tide.