On top of the world

Jérémie Villet's Image

Jérémie grew up on a farm in the countryside near Paris, France, and his childhood dream had been to climb mountains and see a wild Alpine ibex.

Each year, he went with his family skiing in the French Alps. But last summer, he went to the Alps specifically to look for ibex. He set off on the four-hour climb in good time to catch the sunset, but a thick fog meant it took him several more hours to reach the summit. 'When I emerged from the clouds,' says Jérémie, 'it was like entering a new world.' But the real surprise was to see below him a male ibex. 'It was more than I'd hoped for', says Jérémie. 'Just me and the ibex and the beauty of the Alpine scene.'


Behind the lens

Jérémie Villet

Jérémie Villet

France

Jérémie believes that somewhere on Earth, what we imagine becomes real. He left his studies to travel alone by ski and sled. Over these long, solitary expeditions in remote places, Jérémie uses the pure snow as a painter uses a white canvas. All his white photos are published in an art book titled Neige, and his work is featured in art galleries around the world.

Image details

  • Canon EOS 7D
  • 28-75mm f2.8 lens
  • 1/160 sec at f2.8 (-0.7 e/v)
  • The Alps, France
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