A chivalrous portrait of Dent Blanche, magnanimous sovereign of the Valais Alps. This majestic work is one of my rare color photographs. On this day in 2014, I'm on my way to the Pointe du Prélèt, south of Lac de Moiry, to join the mountain along the ridges that separate val d’Anniviers from the Val d'Hérens. Suddenly, I feel the wind pick up without warning. Clouds invade summit from Dent Blanche, also caught off guard. When the thunder starts to rumble, there's no time for doubt: I have to get back down as soon as possible. I rush to take refuge lower down, in my tent. I'm almost caught by lightning. But the Dent Blanche, like a protective mother, happily draws the lightning to its summit, protecting the surrounding valleys from its incandescence.

The heroine of the painting, Dent Blanche , thus veiled in mist, seems intent on conquering the sky. A remarkable pyramid emerges from its stacked edges. The poetic power of its snowy rock feeds our imagination. The abstraction of its forms and the richness of its textures seem to reveal the soul of an all-powerful, marvellous nature.

In this work, the immensity of nature and the depth of my emotions come together. The fiery rage of the winds and the magnetism of the rock move and inspire me. I love dramatic, soul-splitting atmospheres. And when the storm rages in the heart of the Alps, when the elements collide at altitude, I feel a visceral need to be there. As close as I can get to the mountain, I can witness its greatest victories. That's why I was able to photograph this masterful scene that day. Because it's in chaos that my most beautiful works are born.