Life Draws Its Path

• Prize
  Bronze in Nature/Underwater
• Photographer
  Rémi Masson
• Technical Info
  Canon Eos 5d Mark Iv + Sigma 15 Mm Fisheye F2.8 Lens, Underwater Housing 1/80 Sec At F/8, Iso 800
• Photo Date
  8/07/2018

Massif of the Aiguilles rouges, Black lake, Alps, France. Facing the Mont-Blanc, at nearly 2600m altitude, in a water at 0 °C covered with several meters of ice thickness, a few filamentous algae manage to develop on the rocky bottom. A precarious life but essential to the rest of the food chain. Image taken while free diving under the ice. Although it was July, the lake was almost completely frozen. To be able to dive under the ice, I used a natural opening created by the fracking of the ice at the beginning of the thaw.

Rémi Masson is a French diver and photographer. Born in Annecy, in the heart of the Alps, he specializes in underwater photography of mountain lakes, torrents, ponds, and rivers. He is known for his free diving under the ice of high altitude lakes. His photos have been published in leading European magazines. His first book "Eaux douces des Alpes", was published in 2013 by Biotope editions. He is also a cameraman, and has been involved in various TV documentaries (including NHK Japan) and has also been the subject of a documentary broadcast on Canal + in 2017.