Stunning aerial photos show the collision of man-made waterways and mines with actual nature

Aerial and landscape photographer Alexander Heilner has always been interested in how the artificial and the natural coexist.

For the past 25 years he's explored this concept on large and small scales.

"I'm really interested in the idea that all the things we build are actually mark-making across the earth, and it's artistic in some way, but not initially," he told Business Insider.

His mission to document railroads, housing developments, and potash mines that have altered the landscape has made for some georgous and thought-provoking work.

Keep scrolling for the photos, the stories, and more about the man behind the lens.