Sonian Forest

 

To define oneself, one needs landmarks. From that perspective the Sonian Forest (Forêt de Soignes) is undoubtedly my second home. This is where it all started, where I patiently  sharpened my gaze along the flow of seasons, where I learned to record my feelings and messages through the lenses of my cameras.

This forest just next door of the European capital Brussels is a place where I spent countless hours in search of all the subjects and events that mark the cycle of life. From waiting for days in a hide for a Black, a Middle Spotted or a Green Woodpecker, a goshawk or a kingfisher, to endless walks in search of the best fleeting visions, this is where I’ve had the chance to grow, to take all the time I needed to open my eyes and free my mind.
The Sonian Forest is a real gem that constitutes the Belgian forest massif where we find the highest density of old trees, and by extension of dendromicrohabitats. And particularly in the forest reserves, one may admire impressive oaks, maples, hornbeams, as well as a few lime, ash, elm or wild cherry trees at different stages of development; from impressive, centuries-old adults, to old snags or dead rotting trees littering the forest floor. But above all, the gigantic beeches (Fagus sylvatica) - some among the largest in lowland Europe - with their singular forms that seem to vary almost infinitely and with barks sometimes covered with colorful micro-algae and lichens, are the true protagonists of the ancient forest.

In the introduction of the book ‘Forêt de Soignes’ (published in 2010) I quoted the following words of Marcel Proust: « The real voyage of discovery is not to be found in a search for new lands, but in having new eyes », as the writer expresses perfectly my relationship with this place. Each one of us can find in its immediate environment some special piece of nature that may contain secret wonders for anyone who determines to look where the other could only see.

So please find in this portfolio a collection of instants captured over the last fifteen years in this periurban magical place of which the best preserved old beech forest parts have recently been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.