Category: 2018

2018, Bolivia Selection, Stars

Giant Cacti under the Stars of Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia)

Giant Trichocereus pasacana cacti under the starry sky of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

On Isla Incahuasi, these motionless giants seem to be in dialogue with the stars.

Standing like sentinels in the heart of the salt desert, the Trichocereus pasacana cacti watch over the white immensity of the Salar de Uyuni.

These botanical colossi grow with infinite slowness—barely one centimeter per year—with some reaching over ten meters in height after several centuries of life. Their time-sculpted silhouettes stand out beneath the night sky, silent witnesses to the freezing nights and scorching suns of the Altiplano. On Isla Incahuasi, these motionless giants seem to be in dialogue with the stars, anchored in volcanic rock for generations.

2018, China Selection

Huangshan 黄山 – Granite Sculptures at Sunrise

Sunrise over the granite peaks and pines of Huangshan Mountains, China

A living symbol of the harmony between stone, vegetation, and light.

In the silence of the early morning, the jagged peaks of Huangshan (黄山) stand out clearly against a sky tinted with rose and indigo.

These spectacular granite formations, forged by erosion over millennia, rise like natural statues, powerful and solemn. Clinging to the cliffs, the iconic Huangshan pines (黄山松) defy the laws of gravity. Their twisted silhouettes, sometimes solitary, sometimes in clusters, seem to dance with the rock. These resilient trees anchor themselves in the granite crevices, embodying longevity and strength in Chinese aesthetics. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Huangshan Mountains—also known as the “Yellow Mountains”—are a living symbol of the harmony between stone, plant life, and light.

2018, Fish, Underwater Pictures from Djibouti

Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) – Djibouti

Whale

Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) – Djibouti

 

In the deep, dark waters of the Gulf of Tadjourah, off the coast of Djibouti, emerges a majestic silhouette: the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the largest fish in the world. With its enormous mouth agape, it filters thousands of liters of water each hour, harvesting plankton and tiny prey suspended in the ocean. Despite measuring between 12 and 18 meters long, this gentle giant is completely harmless to humans.
Its feeding strategy is simple yet remarkably efficient: it swims slowly with its mouth wide open, filtering up to 6,000 liters of water per hour. Each day, it can consume several dozen kilograms of plankton, fish larvae, and small crustaceans. The nutrient-rich waters of Djibouti, especially between October and February, attract these giants in search of food, offering rare and unforgettable encounters.