This photo was taken at the Barre d’Étel (Brittany, France) in winter, in freezing temperatures and a ghostly atmosphere.
The Barre d’Étel is located at the mouth of the Ria (river) d’Étel.
The ria flows into a low, sandy coastline that is perpendicular to the prevailing swell, resulting in the formation of a sandbank called a ‘barre,’ which looks like a crescent-shaped underwater dune. This unique underwater configuration creates extremely strong currents.
To guide ships to port, this mouth is marked by a nautical beacon protected by a breakwater, which is itself protected by imposing breakwaters.
That morning, the fog was so thick that the beacon was barely visible. I stayed in the cold for over two hours, capturing this ghostly atmosphere and waiting for the fog to lift at the end of the morning.
‘The mist always ends up returning to nature the landscape it has veiled.’
