The shallow, saline lagoons of the Camargue offer a unique sanctuary for the Greater Flamingo, the region’s most iconic inhabitant. This photograph captures a large colony wading through the brackish waters near Salin-de-Giraud, where the birds feed on brine shrimp that grant them their characteristic pink plumage. Beyond its birdlife, this region is also inhabited by its semi-wild white horses and the black Camargue bulls, which roam the vast marshes as symbols of local heritage. In the photograph, the composition emphasises the elegant and rhythmic silhouettes of the flamingos against the shimmering and reflective surface of the marshlands. As one of the few European sites where these birds breed easily, the Camargue offers a rare glimpse into a delicate ecosystem where water and wildlife exist in a fragile balance.

* July 3, 2010
* Camargue, France
* GPS: 43.406790, 4.761912
* From the series Spirit of Water — Seascape
* Object number: #72.FR-SWS.2010
* Olympus E3, 50-200/2.8 • Iso 100 • 200mm • f/10 • 1/125sec
* Photograph. 70×50 cm. Ed. 1/12 + 3 AP
* Print on Hahnemühle Glossy Fine-Art Baryta, 325 g/m²