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Nicolas Boulandet
@nicolas.boulandet.photo
Best of the week 1 at #nomadict 2021
I was born in the Alps and grew up in the heart of the most beautiful French massifs. My parents have always been keen mountaineers, so I was introduced to mountains and nature early on. Through countless hikes, climbing trips, and mountain bivouacs, I have formed a deep connection with nature, the mountains, and the wild world out there. Being out in nature has always given me a taste for freedom and an appreciation for the beauty of the simple things in life.
"Photography was a natural progression for me as it allows me to capture the most beautiful manifestations of the interplay of natural elements."
I can seize fleeting moments and share the beauty of nature with my loved ones and, now, an even wider audience. This taste of adventure and shooting emotive images has prompted me to explore other regions, countries, and continents.
"At the end of June 2020, I decided to go on a solo trip in my van for a few months to photograph the most beautiful landscapes in Europe."
I was working in a refuge in the Mont Blanc massif at the time and all my free time was spent setting up my van, so it practically became my house on wheels. It took quite a bit of time, but I was ready to begin the trip by the middle of August. First up was Italy; I wanted to cross the Alps towards the Dolomites, which took a few weeks of traveling. While continually searching for the most beautiful viewpoints, I naturally gravitated to the mountains and valleys.
"We should always strive to leave natural environments undisturbed and cleaner than we found them."
My friend @ghislainfave, who was following my trip via Instagram, recommended a summit where he had been before, a fabulous viewpoint on the most beautiful peak of the Dolomites. Of course, I wanted to see it with my own eyes. Once I was at the top, the view was simply magnificent! I spent the whole afternoon there, thinking peacefully to myself. Then just before the sun was about to set, an enormous mass of clouds rose over the ridge to obstruct my view entirely. As I was in the heart of the thick fog, I began to despair at not being able to see the landscape again. Then slowly, the clouds dissipated, allowing me to capture some sunset images above the mountains.
I could see the sun setting over the horizon, and combined with the atmosphere, it was truly unique. A soft mist took over the landscape, and fabulous pastel color hues appeared in the sky. I finally captured a shot at the right moment, which is the image that won the Nomadict photo of the week contest.
With this photo, I wanted to capture the landscape’s excellent geometry and the perfect stacking of the mountain layers. The atmosphere at that very moment inspired me enormously because of the variations in the clouds’ density and their shapes, which seemed to envelop the mountains. The sheets of clouds posed many difficulties. It was not until the perfect moment had appeared where the central mountain could be clearly seen that I took the photograph. The gradient of pastel tones in the sky associated with the soft clouds particularly inspired me to counterbalance the mountains’ strong textures to find the right balance.
"The post-processing of an image is one of the determining stages of any photo."
My goal is always to bring out the best in the picture by adding a slight creative touch to amplify the mood. For the processing of this particular image, I focused on the elements that inspired me to take the photo in the first place. That was the alternation of contrasts in the image and the balance between the warm hues along with the colder hues. I edited this photo, intending to have a smooth, structured picture focused on the main interest points.
As you can see, I’m passionate about photography. I’m now a professional landscape photographer, and I sell my prints on fine art paper via my website. Bringing my photos to life for my clients is lovely for me. But I don’t just sell my prints; I also develop commercial or private photoshoots in beautiful natural landscapes in the Alps (e.g. Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Isere…).
However, I haven’t always been doing this. My career started rather unusually. Initially, I studied water management at school to graduate as a hydrologist and hydraulics engineer. My studies have strongly impacted my understanding of nature and the environment. But after a few years of working in this field and some health-related issues, I decided to take a break. Photography, nature, and travel were to be my way of life. Traveling in my van, exploring, and immersing myself in nature made me feel much better. Watching the sunset, climbing mountains, or simply walking in nature was an incredible experience for me and one I hope to have many more times in the future.
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