Shot of the Month
Paul Hiller becomes part of Accidently Wes Anderson with his image ‘White Cyclone’
‘White Cyclone’ by Paul Hiller, from the new book AccidentallyWesAnderson
Wally Koval’s book Accidentally WesAnderson tells the stories behind the most beautiful, idiosyncratic and interesting places on Earth, seen through a viewpoint inspired by the aesthetic of director and writer Wes Anderson’s much-loved movies. The book travels the world and into your own back yard to identify quirky landmarks and undiscovered gems; places you may have passed by, others you always wanted to explore, and some you never knew existed.
The book’s production involved more than 180 photographers around the world, including Munich-based Paul Hiller. Hiller’s own ongoing project HappySadPlaces documents the distinctive designs and colours of amusement parks, with a pastel-tinted feel that seems to place the parks in an irrecoverable past. Hiller uses analogue gear as part of his process to evoke this feel, including a decades-old Hasselblad camera and Kodak Portra 400 film.
The White Cyclone ( Howaito Saikuron) rollercoaster opened in 1994 at Nagashima Spa Land in western Japan, which is famous for the breadth of rollercoaster rides it offers: currently 12. The wood-constructed ride enjoyed great popularity for 14 years, until its age required it to be renovated. Remodelled in steel with a redesigned route and bigger drops, it’s now known as the White Whale ( Hakugei), and the original ride exists only in photographs like this.
Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally Koval is published by Trapeze, price £25/$35. accidentallywesanderson.com