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Olivier Lefez
@ilynx_
Landscape photographer based in France
I worked as a mountain rescuer and high mountain guide until five years ago. Until that day of the accident. I went with a client to cross a rocky edge in Switzerland. Everything was going well until one of the last climbing steps, just a little below the summit. A rock was detached and took me with it; it was a 40m fall with several bounces on the rocks, until the rope tightened.
"Fortunately it didn't break because there was still a 600m below me."
"My body was polytraumatized, having multiple fractures. Miraculously, I just needed eight months to recover."
However, I was no longer able to exercise my profession as a guide because of the pain in my body and weakness in my arms and legs. I was recommended to work on the roofs as a carpenter and took up my first activities by that means… Despite, I still remain at the disposal of the authorities when they need reinforcements to pick up people in the mountains. This winter I even helped creating new routes that had never been climbed before in Norway. Ice climbing is an inexplicable feeling. It requires full concentration, each movement has to be done correctly and exact. The sound of ice axes entering the ice, the sound of carabiners, ice pins… And a deep silence all around us.
"The most important thing to keep in mind is to look at each element that surrounds us, to see in advance where, why and how I will move and above all to retain energy throughout the climb to avoid a fall."
"I would never be able to stay away from the mountains…"
For me, the mountain allows me to breathe fresh air and clear my mind. It is an outlet and a source of energy. There’s no other place that can give me the same feeling. We could pass by the same spot 50 times, but every day will be different, the colors, the sky, the animals… And every time, nature accepts that we are there, that we look at it, and that we marvel at its greatness. Not being able to practice and share my passion was hard, and I had to find another way to get as close as possible while requiring less physical effort from my body. And so I got to photography. I try to search for these moments immersed in nature every weekend: one day of mountain biking, one day of mountaineering, one day of climbing, one day of ice climbing, one day a long hike in the mountains – always having my camera or my drone with me.
"What I want to photograph really depends on the moment. It can be a lake with a view of the Milky Way, another day a forest covered in fog and another day a climbing route or an icefall."
I love to shoot it all, to improve my photography by shooting different types of landscapes. If I could, I would go around the world hunting for the secret spots of each continent and country. Out of all the places I have visited so far, seeing the northern lights remains one of the most special experiences. The colored shapes fluently dancing in front of my eyes was simply beautiful to see. Each time it leaves me speechless. It is a magical natural phenomenon and when look at it from a scientific point of view it is incredibly interesting.
"I enjoy learning and discovering, I don’t want to simply be satisfied with what I already know."
Talking with other photographers helps a lot to keep learning and stay creative. I also keep track of my learning process and development in order to keep ameliorating my photos. Reflection on your own work is essential, I believe. For me, the hardest part of photography is the play with contrast and adapting to the brightness of the moment. Choosing the right lens, the right setting – because two minutes after that can be totally different and we regret not having chosen another setting, another lens, another filter or another shot.
"I overcome these difficulties by telling myself that I am learning and that there will be other opportunities. The more I do it, the easier it will get."
Although with the unpredictability of light and weather, these moments will continue to appear and that is just part of photography. There are so many elements to take into account to successfully shoot that photo you wanted; I was especially confronted with this difficulty in Iceland. You have to be so quick due to the climate conditions. The colors change in an instant and I noticed that it was very hard to decide so quickly what to do taking all these elements into account. Later on, when I edit, it is important to me to emphasize details without overdoing it.
"To be able to catch the eye of the one who will see it in less than a second. And surely to have a darkish mood that brings out a mysterious side and a touch of poetry."
Right now I am not doing photography professionally but I have an enormous desire to learn and share. Later on I will see what paths appear and which I feel like choosing. If there’s one thing I could recommend anyone, it is to stay true to your passion, or as close as possible. If something is limiting you, that doesn’t mean that it’s all over. Find other ways that can feed your passion, your desires. Don’t simply accept your limitations or that your ability or passion seems to have been taken away from you. You will feel much better when fighting and searching for an alternative that brings you as close as possible.
"It is always better to be grateful for what we can or have than to grieve about what we cannot anymore. You can think yourself happy."
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