Éclat Nocturne

Spectacular view of the Mont Blanc massif from the heights of Émosson, in the Swiss Alps. This beautiful black-and-white photograph features a number of summits in the French Alps. On the left, the Aiguilles de Chamonix come into view: the Aiguilles du Grépon, Blaitière, du Plan and the famous Aiguille du Midi. Then we admire the Trois Monts: Mont-Blanc du Tacul, Mont Maudit and Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc from Courmayeur can be seen from Italy. Continuing our traverse, the ridge takes us to the Deux Bosses and the Vallot refuge. We then descend to the Dôme du Goûter and the refuge of the same name. Behind the Aiguille du Goûter, the mythical, razor-sharp Bionnassay ridge appears. Finally, in the foreground, the Aiguilles Rouges massif rises out of the darkness. It contrasts with the infinite whiteness of the Mont-Blanc massif, just covered in snow.

To create this work, I climbed up to summit de Bel Oiseau. As night fell, I set my camera for a long exposure to capture the last rays of sunlight on the snow-covered walls. It was bitterly cold, and as I waited for the mountain to reveal itself, my hands gradually froze. After immortalizing the beauty of summits, I took refuge in my tent, sheltered from the wind, to try and keep warm until the early hours of the morning.

I still have wonderful memories of the spectacle nature offered me on this autumn evening. After a strong storm, the afterglow in the sky reflected off the freshly snow-covered walls and glaciers of the Mont-Blanc massif. It makes summits sparkle like diamonds, sublimating their legendary grandeur. The movement of the clouds endows the picture with a remarkable dreamlike intensity. As adventurous travelers, we gaze at the Himalayan mountains emerging from the mist, charismatic and bewitching.