about the work

This panoramic photograph shows the famous Mont-Blanc massif rising royally from a sea of clouds after a winter storm. On the left, the Peuterey ridge leads us to Italy, while on the right, the three summits and the normal route of the Goûter ridge are in France. In the foreground, the Aiguilles de Chamonix, among which stands the famous Aiguille du Midi, emerge mysteriously from the mist. In the background, the highest summits of the Écrins massif, located about a hundred kilometers away, finally sublimate the beauty of this already breathtaking panorama.

I took this aerial photograph from a helicopter in the region of Verbier, Switzerland. For several years, I studied the weather forecasts to try to find the moment when the conditions would be right to bring this picture to life. A helicopter cannot fly through clouds. If it gets caught in the fog, it has almost no chance of getting out. Like the mountain, it reminds us how little man is in front of the power of the elements. So I had to wait for a day when the storm would evacuate from the west, leaving enough clouds behind to give my work the mystical atmosphere I was dreaming of. I also had to wait for the fog to break sufficiently to leave a passage for the helicopter to sneak above the thick cottony veil. Finally, the weather forecast had to announce the return of the sun so that the pilots could be sure to come down after the photo session.

After many years of waiting, this perfect moment has finally arrived. I was able to realize this incredible picture of unparalleled beauty. The image reminds me of a rocky island emerging in the middle of an endless ocean. There is a real connection between the marine world and the high mountains. Nature expresses itself fully, with strength and authenticity, far from any human domination. Man cannot control them, he cannot live there. He is a stranger there, brought back to his primary state. On the heights of the world, between earth and sky, the mountain is queen. And it is undoubtedly that which attracts me so much to it.