There is a power and energy in Ardèche...
It's hard to explain, but there is something profoundly spiritual and powerful in the Ardèche mountains of France. You can feel the energy of the place flowing through your body. I have never, in my entire life, been to a place like it. I have never felt, so intensely, that I was being healed by the nature around me. Without getting too metaphysical, there is something very powerful and very spiritual about this region of France. The time I spent there feels sometimes like a dream.
If you are going through a difficult time or just need to re-center and reorient emotionally or spiritually, you need to go to Ardèche.
Nature, Landscape, and environment - May, June, and july 2024
There is a natural and rugged beauty to Ardèche. It is at once a very grounded beauty, but it also feels very ethereal and enigmatic. It's at once gorgeous, but also so gorgeous that its beauty sometimes defies easy photographic translation.
Environmental Night Portraiture with Friends - May and July, 2024
One of the most amazing parts of traveling in Ardèche for me was the people I met and the friends I made. My favorite type of photography is environmental and contextual night portraiture. It gave me an amazing opportunity to play and experiment with very unique lighting.
MAKING CHEESE, Traditionally, AT Rochebesse-Gaec-Fromages de Chèvre - June 2024
I had the incredible opportunity to make goat cheese in the traditional fashion at Rochebesse-Gaec-Fromages de Chèvre, just outside of Borée, France. It was an incredible and unforgettable experience.
Pic et Zik et Cie festival at Mazan-l'Abbaye - JUNE 2024
The Pic et Zik et Cie Festival at Mazan-l'Abbaye is a celebration where music meets the rugged beauty of the French highlands. Set against the backdrop of ancient stone ruins and sweeping mountain vistas, this intimate festival blends the echoes of folk, blues, and world music with the soul of the Ardèche wilderness. Here, musicians and artists come together, creating a communal space of rhythm and reverie, where nature and creativity intertwine in a harmonious symphony.
Playing with fire - June 2024
One evening with friends, two people brought out their "fire staffs" (Bâton de Feu). It was a wonderful opportunity to candidly capture something so dynamic. Fire light has always been my favorite light to work with as a photographer, so it was wonderful fun.
L'Ère du Tchier de Borée (Taken on Iphone 15 ProMax) - June 2024
L'Ère du Tchier de Borée is a unique and mystical art installation located in the village of Borée in the Ardèche region of France. This outdoor site features a collection of stone sculptures, each carefully arranged and etched with symbols, carvings, and inscriptions. Created by the artist Serge Boyer and stone sculptor Alain Leclerc, the installation is designed to reflect themes of time, space, and the cycles of nature. The stones are positioned according to astronomical alignments, making the site feel like a modern-day Stonehenge. It's a place that invites visitors to reflect on the passage of time and the connection between the earth and the cosmos.
La Course de Caisses à Savon (Soap box race) in Le Cheylard, France - May 2024
A tradition in many parts of France, a soapbox race, a fun and popular event where participants race homemade, non-motorized vehicles down a course, relying solely on gravity. These vehicles, known as "caisses à savon" (soapboxes), are creatively designed and decorated by the participants.
