Les Ailes du Vent

Presentation

Grégory BONNET

France

http://www.gregorybonnet.net

Born in Chartres in 1972, I grew up between the city of Bordeaux and the Arcachon bay where I discovered very young the quiet of the sea environment. But the repeated stays from the age of 3 years on the ski slopes or the footpaths of altitude, first in the Pyrenees, then in the Alps, make me fall literally in love with the mountainous environment. After studying Marine Biology in the United States of America, I returned to France and moved in the Alpes Maritimes in 1998. From there, I spend most of my free time in the Mercantour National Park where nature photography will take a very important place in my life. Having «definitely borrowed» my mother’s camera, I realized my first portraits of emblematic species like deer, chamois, ibex, and marmots mainly in the Vésubie valley. Over the years, I improved my techniques of tracking, approach and blind in order to photograph rarer and reclusive species. I now try to photograph the subject in its environment and to add an artistic touch to my images as far as possible. For more than 15 years, I walk miles in a typical area of this valley to photograph mainly the ermine which is one of my favorite animals, and for which I have dedicated some exhibitions in various photo festivals since 2016. If I have had the chance to admire the "foreign" fauna several times (Alaska, Canada, Kenya, Rwanda, Scotland, Norway/Svalbard…..), I am happy to find the fauna of our French mountains that is a source of wonder since my youngest age.

Exposition

2020 2021 11 | Foyer rural de Giffaumont-Champaubert

The Royal Eagle has always touched me with his eyes, rocked me with his majestic flight, captivated me by his predatory behavior. My first unexpected encounters, followed by numerous trackings, observations and sharpening over the years, have contributed to the birth of a love story and fascination with this majestic hawk, emblem of our mountain ranges. Throughout the year, the Golden Eagle is my eye and my goal. The result is an exhibition entitled “Les Ailes du Vent”, inspired by the self-published photo book of the same name published in August 2019, which presents this super predator of the air in its mineral, forest, snow-covered environment. The mountainous environment of this mythical bird allow multiple aesthetic variations according to the seasons. A few watercolours by my mother Danièle Bonnet depicting the Royal Eagle, its environment and the species that constitute its potential prey complete this work and the exhibition. The book “Les Ailes du Vent” and the associated exhibition present only images of free and wild animals living in their natural environment. All precautions have been taken to avoid any bad interference with the animals. The photos were made without bait, filters, structures or alterations in order to faithfully show the attitudes, lights and natural atmospheres that prevailed during the shooting. These images were made in the Gorges du Verdon (04), in the Mercantour National Park and the hinterland of Grassy (06), and in the Aravis massif (73-74) between 2011 and 2019.

Galerie

: Sa Majesté – Grégory BONNET

: L’automne est dans l’air – Grégory BONNET

: Amours en hiver – Grégory BONNET

: Rencontre au sommet – Grégory BONNET

: Le virage – Grégory BONNET