In the Privacy of the Dombes
There exists, nestled in the heart of France, a forgotten kingdom of stillness and reflection - the Dombes. A land woven from water and silence, where thousands of ponds, like ancient mirrors, stretch out beneath shifting skies. It is not a region one stumbles upon. La Dombes must be discovered - patiently, reverently - like a whispered secret between the Earth and the heavens.
This collection is my intimate tribute to that land. Each photograph is a breath taken at dawn or dusk, when the world holds its breath and time stands still. With a passion nurtured over many seasons, I ventured into the solitude of these wild waterscapes to capture not only their physical form but their soul.
Since 2012, I have spent several weeks each year photographing birds from floating hides. It took me three years to understand how to photograph landscapes and blend into the spirit of the Dombes. It was only after three years that I understood how to convey my passion for this unique place.
Every pond in La Dombes is a world itself shaped by wind, light, and memory. Some are veiled in cool sapphire tones, others are ignited by the fire of a crimson sky. The reeds tremble, the clouds race overhead, and reflections ripple into abstraction. I sought to render all of this with impact and grace, using a creative palette rich in color and emotion.
In these fine art prints, the accentued tones are more than aesthetic - they are a language. A golden blush across the water speaks of peace. A burst of violet through the storm tells of resilience. The silhouettes of trees form a chorus of quiet strength along the horizon. Each composition is a dialogue between nature and the soul of the viewer - each one attractive and evocative, designed to stop time for a moment and invite contemplation.
What draws me most to the Dombes is its humility. Despite its grandeur, it remains almost unknown to the wider world. It does not boast, nor seek the spotlight. Instead, it invites. It offers privacy - not only in a physical sense, but in an emotional one. To visit La Dombes is to experience a refuge - a sanctuary where one can reconnect with the essential, the eternal.
Thus, I titled this collection "In the Privacy of the Dombes." For what I found there - and now share with you - is something deeply personal. Not a spectacle, but a silent symphony of water, sky, and spirit.
This is not documentary photography. It is fine art, born of vision and feeling. With each photograph, I aimed to translate landscape into metaphor. Pond into poem. Light into legacy. I worked with bold colors not merely for beauty, but to stir the senses - to make the heart respond before the mind even begins to interpret.
May you, dear viewer, enter this collection not as an observer but as a participant in the reverie. Let the hues wash over you. Let the lines draw you in. Let the reflections open windows into your own emotional landscape.
And if you listen closely, perhaps you will hear the quiet voice of La Dombes - gentle, unhurried, and eternal - inviting you to return again and again, in spirit, to its hallowed waters.
