2007, Jordan Selection

Corinthian columns of the Temple of Artemis, 2nd century, Jerash, Jordan

Corinthian columns of the Temple of Artemis, 2nd century, Jerash, Jordan

Ancient Verticality, Jerash.

Under the intense blue of the Jordanian sky, the columns of the Temple of Artemis soar with an elegance that has defied millennia.

Built in the 2nd century AD (around 150 AD) in the heart of the ancient city of Gerasa (Jerash), this temple dedicated to the city’s patron goddess is a masterpiece of Corinthian architecture. This low-angle shot highlights the delicate acanthus leaves carved into the capitals, but it also hides a secret of Roman engineering: these massive columns were designed to sway slightly to dissipate the energy of earthquakes. Today, despite the passing centuries and tremors, these stone giants remain standing, offering a vertical testament to the grandeur and ingenuity of a vanished civilization.

2025, Portugal Selection

Isolated rock formation, Praia de Mesquita, Algarve, Portugal

Isolated rock formation, Praia de Mesquita, Algarve, Portugal

Sentinel of the Algarve, Praia de Mesquita.

Rising from the waves like a limestone totem, this solitary sentinel defies the relentless erosion of the Atlantic at Mesquita Beach.

This stretch of the Algarve coast is famous for its spectacular geological formations. The use of a long exposure here transforms the crashing waves into a fleeting silken veil, highlighting the permanence of the rock against the perpetual motion of the ocean.

2019, Insects and Arachnids, Mainland France Selection

Chestnut weevil (Curculio elephas) on a flower – France

Chestnut weevil (Curculio elephas) on a flower - France

The Chestnut weevil, a garden astronaut.

Carefully perched on the pristine petals of a stitchwort, this Chestnut weevil (Curculio elephas) looks like a creature straight out of a science fiction story with its spectacular rostrum.

This small beetle, an icon of the French countryside, possesses a unique tool: a rigid, extremely thin snout that allows it to bore into plant tissues. In the female, this rostrum is a feat of natural engineering used to pierce the still-soft shells of chestnut to deposit an egg.

2025, Mainland France Selection, Mammals, Red Fox (vulpes vulpes)

Young foxes playing in the tall grass – France

Young foxes playing in tall grass - Late summer

Young foxes, learning through play.

In the golden light of a late summer meadow, two young foxes engage in their favorite games, caught between tenderness and mock combat.

These moments of brotherhood are crucial in the development of fox cubs. Through play, they learn the social codes of their species and sharpen the reflexes that will later make them agile predators. Nestled against each other amidst the tall grasses and sun-scorched wildflowers, they remind us of the vulnerability and wild beauty of these first months of life in the heart of nature.

2009, Encounters, Laos Selection

Children playing hide and seek, Ben Tou Gong Temple, Pakse, Laos

Children playing hide and seek, Ben Tou Gong Temple, Pakse, Laos

Hide and Seek, Pakse (Laos).

In the shadow of the Ben Tou Gong Temple, the sacred and the carefree meet in a moment of laughter.

Located in Pakse, the Ben Tou Gong Temple (本頭公廟) is a vital hub for the Sino-Laotian community. Dedicated to the “Local Lord” or Spirit of the Soil, this sanctuary is much more than a place of worship: it is a protective space watching over the neighborhood and its residents from the banks of the Sedone River.

Here, the imposing lion guardian statues, or Chinthes, do more than just ward off evil spirits. They become silent accomplices in children’s games.

2025, Birds, Ethiopia Selection

Moorland Chat (Pinarochroa sordida) on a Kniphofia foliosa – Bale Mountains, Ethiopia

Moorland Chat (Pinarochroa sordida) on a Kniphofia foliosa - Bale Mountains, Ethiopia

Moorland Chat (Pinarochroa sordida) on a Kniphofia foliosa – Bale Mountains, Ethiopia.

Perched with surprising agility atop a Red Hot Poker, this Moorland Chat surveys the high-altitude grasslands of the Bale Mountains National Park.

From an ornithological perspective, the Moorland Chat is a fascinating subject. A true champion of extreme environments, it is one of the few passerines capable of living and breeding at altitudes up to 4,500 meters. Unlike many species that migrate to milder valleys during harsh weather, it remains a year-round resident of the high plateaus, daily enduring nocturnal frosts and thinning oxygen.

Here it is seen on a Kniphofia foliosa, an endemic plant whose blooms serve as strategic perches. Its long legs, shown in full extension in this shot, bear witness to its perfect adaptation to life on the ground and in the low vegetation of alpine moorlands. Its ability to maintain constant activity in such a demanding environment makes it a symbol of resilience for Ethiopian wildlife.

2018, Djibouti Selection, Underwater Pictures from Djibouti, Underwater Wildlife

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in the waters of the Gulf of Tadjoura

Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in the waters of the Gulf of Tadjoura - Djibouti

Silhouette of a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in the Gulf of Tadjoura – Djibouti

Emerging from the depths of the Gulf of Tadjoura, the whale shark reveals its massive silhouette, adorned with a constellation of white spots unique to each individual.

Despite its impressive size, this sea giant is a harmless filter feeder that lives almost exclusively on plankton. In the waters of Djibouti, encountering the world’s largest fish is a moment of suspended grace. Its thick, starry skin acts like a digital fingerprint, allowing researchers to identify and track individuals across the oceans.

This top-down view highlights the whale shark’s hydrodynamic elegance. Moving with majestic slowness, it reminds us of the vulnerability of giants in a changing environment. Protecting its feeding grounds, as seen here in the Horn of Africa, is vital for the survival of this iconic species, currently listed as endangered.

2025, Ethiopia Selection, Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), Mammals

Young Abyssinian wolf scanning the pack’s territory

Young Abyssinian wolf scanning the pack's territory - Ethiopia

Young Abyssinian wolf scanning the pack’s territory – Ethiopia

Perched on a rocky outcrop, this young wolf is beginning to adopt the postures of an adult. Still inexperienced, he gazes across the high plateaus, learning to read the landscape and spot the movements around him.

For the Abyssinian wolf, vigilance is an essential part of growing up. Every individual plays a part in defending the family home range—a vital space closely linked to the abundance of rodents the pack relies on. By gradually taking his place on the high points, the juvenile learns this fundamental role, a quiet but decisive step toward adulthood.

2025, HD and 360°, Portugal Selection

Mesquita Beach and its golden cliffs, Algarve, Portugal


Mesquita Beach and its golden cliffs, Algarve, Portugal

Sculpted cliffs of Mesquita Beach, Algarve – Portugal.


👁️ View the 360° virtual tour

A discreet gem of the Algarve, Mesquita Beach reveals a spectacular landscape where marine erosion has carved arches and columns out of golden limestone.

Located near the famous Benagil Cave, Mesquita offers a much more rugged and wild atmosphere. Its steep cliffs, shaped by the wind and sea spray, bear witness to the patient strength of the Atlantic. At low tide, the receding water reveals secret passages between the rocks and natural pools where the stone seems to dissolve into the turquoise hues of the ocean.

This virtual tour allows you to immerse yourself at the foot of these stone giants and contemplate the fine geological layers that tell millions of years of sedimentary history.

2023, Algeria Selection, Sahara

Dune crest under the breath of the Sahara

Dune crest under the breath of the Sahara - Algeria

Dune crest under the breath of the Sahara – Algeria

Under the low-angled light, a dune in the Algerian Sahara dissolves into the wind, a reminder of the shifting nature of the desert.

Every year, nearly 180 million tons of dust and sand rise from the Sahara, driven by the wind. Some of these particles then begin a spectacular journey, crossing the Atlantic over thousands of miles.

Carried by the trade winds, this Saharan dust reaches the Caribbean and South America, where it settles notably over the Amazon basin. It brings essential nutrients, particularly phosphorus, which is vital for soil fertility and the maintenance of the rainforest. Without this regular influx from the desert, one of the planet’s richest ecosystems in biodiversity could not renew itself in the same way.

Thus, this sand torn from the Saharan dunes recalls a fundamental truth: even the most arid and inhospitable environments play an essential role in the balance of life, linking deserts and tropical forests within a single global cycle.

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