Photo Gallery

Color variations - Only green is missing, the rarest color in the desert... and symbol of life.

The great outdoors… - The caravan moves southeast, towards the endless Ténéré. - Niger / Ténéré / 2000

Hanging from the moon - In this lunar landscape, a tree spreads its network of roots and branches across a wide area to catch the meager dew necessary for its survival. Yet another miracle! - Niger / Aïr / Piste d'Agamgam / 1992

The red boulder - A clear day on wadi Tafidet, which – though rarely – carries water from the Aïr to the Ténéré. Driven by an exceptional flood, this rock broke off its route and, when the sun reappeared, had landed here. - Niger / Ténéré / 1992

The great crossing - Through rippled sand waves and immense dunes, the way of the caravan seems to be without end. - Niger / Ténéré / Erg Izane / 2001

Draw me a shadow - Shadow of life, shadow of death in the solitude of the desert. - Niger / Between Aïr and Ténéré / 1999

Lone Tree, region of Adrar Bous - How did this tree grow roots here? How has it survived the winds, the hungry herds and the men looking for lumber? Maybe they let it live because it provides unexpected shade in return. - Niger / Ténéré / 2003

Balance - The sculptor god has chosen a huge space under the sky for the exhibition of his work. Admission is free for all who endeavor to come here. - Niger / between Aïr and Ténéré / 2000

Silent sands - Listen to the song of the dunes, a mysterious symphony of souls and bodies. - Niger / Ténéré / Arakao / 1992

Azalaï is the name given to the caravans that transport salt from Bilma to Agadez. The route is strenuous and dangerous even for the dromedaries, as proved by this skeleton in the foreground.

At the edge of the Ténéré (Niger), the wind avidly shapes the beautiful dunes of Temet. This sea of sand is only limited by the high mountains of the Aïr in the distance.

Adventure in sight - In the Sahara, buses and trucks for passenger transport are rare and fares are expensive. Between Bilma and Agadez, they follow the traditional path of salt caravans. - Niger / Ténéré / 2002

Arakao, dunes and dead tree - between Aïr and Ténéré / Niger

Grand Erg Occidental in the morning - Algeria

Dune and single tree - In-Djaren / Tadrart / Algeria

Erg Izane / Getting into another world The caravan is about to enter a mineral universe that is no longer the world of men but that of an intact nature where only the nomads know how to survive.

Ténéré / The long walk Beyond the dunes of Izane, the massif of Tahmert will be the point of arrival in the evening of a long and beautiful day sailing through the Sahara.

Ténéré / Erg Izane / Stop in the shadow No tree, no rock as far as the eye can see. For the rest of a few minutes, the only shadow is that of the camels, but they can only turn their backs to the sun.

Arakao / The reward Nestled in the heart of the desert, the site of Tchin-Taborak is a jewel like no other. Here is the image of eternity and peace of soul.

Erg Izane / Waking up in the heart of the world Immense, mystical and intimate at the same time, the deep Sahara reveals itself to those who show themselves worthy. Patience, humility and respect are the keys.

Ruban de dunes
Belles dunes près d’Illizi, qui s’appelait Fort-Polignac pendant la période de la colonisation française. Elles sont situées au sud-est de l’Algérie, à une centaine de kilomètres de la frontière libyenne.
Algérie – Illizi – 1969

Getting into another world
The caravan is about to enter a mineral universe that is no longer the world of men but that of an intact nature where only the nomads know how to survive.
Niger - Aïr - Erg Izane - 2002

Unexpected parking
On the asphalt road between Hassi-Messaoud and In-Amenas, this «international parking signal» is unusual and surprising. His incongruity can make you smile.
Algeria - 1968

Art in the desert
Natural rock sculpture between Djanet and the cliffs south of Tassili.
Algeria - South Tassili - 1993

Dunes and monoliths
Dunes of Tarka on the border between Niger and Chad.
Chad - Tibesti - 1967

Tree of Ténéré
The Ténéré tree was a lonely acacia tree, considered to be the most isolated tree on Earth, the only one within a 400 km radius. It was an important landmark for caravans crossing the Tenere desert.
In 1973, the tree was knocked down by a Libyan truck driver, probably drunk. The dead tree was transported to the National Museum of Niger in Niamey and replaced by a simple metal sculpture representing a tree.
Niger - Tenere - 1967

Azalai in the sandstorm
Azalaï, a camel caravan led by the Tuaregs, transports various goods crossing the Ténéré desert to exchange them for rock salt or sell them on the Sahel markets. The trip usually takes place between October and November and lasts about forty days.
Niger - Tenere - 1967

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Le littoral péruvien est un immense désert dominé par des collines de faible hauteur. Le vent qui monte de la mer favorise la formation de dunes. Entre Ica et Pisco — 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Dans la lumière aveuglante des déserts du nord du Pérou. - Près de Chiclayo - Département de Lambayeque - 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
La panaméricaine, qui suit le littoral, traverse les déserts côtiers sur toute leur longueur. – Entre Talara et Piura - 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
El condor pasa... «Le condor passe», chanson folklorique péruvienne, que semble illustrer, au-dessus de l'océan Pacifique, le survol de l'oiseau sacré des Andes. Parfois, en effet, le cuntur vénéré par toutes les ethnies de l'ancien Pérou et «messager du Soleil» des Incas plane majestueusement sur les déserts infinis du littoral.

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Tandis que le ciel tropical et le Pacifique se fondent au lointain, l'arrière-pays de Nazca n'est, dans le Sud-Pérou, qu'un long désert çà et là hanté de fantomatiques cactus-cierges.

Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun) - competition for folk groups in the stadium of Cuzco. - 1976

The Panamericana crosses many desert stretches of the peruvian coast. In places it is blown with sand by the strong winds, as here near San Pedro de Lloc in the province of Pacasmayo in the department of La Libertad. - 1969

Chapter 1: AÏR - Niger The Aïr Mountains in Niger are characterised by a varied landscape. There are high mountains, deep gorges, extensive plateaus and rock formations. Some plant species that are relatively rare in the Sahara grow at higher altitudes. There are also rocks and cavities that harbour historical rock paintings and engravings, which are evidence of earlier human life and activities in the region. - In the picture: ‘The dead tree’, which is located in front of the large Arakao dunes on the eastern slope of the Aïr Mountains.

18 - Oued Tafidet (Aïr). - A typical view of this region (landscape veiled by suspended sand in the air).

In the Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, which stretches across northwestern India (primarily Rajasthan) and parts of Pakistan, these small creatures play a remarkable role in the ecosystem. They belong to the family of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae). These beetles use a sophisticated method to obtain water. In the cool morning hours, they position themselves head-down on the dune crests (often referred to as fog-basking). Moisture in the air condenses on their smooth exoskeletons and flows directly into their mouthparts. As saprophages, they feed primarily on organic waste, dried plant matter, and the dung of desert animals such as camels. In this way, they maintain the nutrient cycle of the barren sand dunes. While temperatures in the Thar Desert can reach extreme levels during the day, the beetles escape the deadly heat by burrowing into the sand at lightning speed or seeking shelter under sparse vegetation. – 1990

The Panamericana crosses many desert stretches of the peruvian coast. In places it is blown with sand by the strong winds, as here near San Pedro de Lloc in the province of Pacasmayo in the department of La Libertad. - 1969