Fairytales in the Forest – Catherine Régnier’s Magical Journey Through Nature Photography

My love story with photography began during the very first Covid lockdown in March 2020.There, I rediscovered the wonders of my garden using an old smartphone.

A few months later, a friend encouraged me to get some new equipment, and the following winter, I was able to start practicing macro photography with the hybrid camera and macro lens I had received for Christmas.

Although I work in a completely different field, photography holds a very important place in my heart, and I devote much of my free time to it. It is an incomparable opportunity to recharge in nature and experience moments suspended in time.

In the Name of Nature

There is something I am keen to convey through my approach to photography: the way we look at nature. Indeed, practicing this type of photography has literally changed the way I see the natural world around us. These moments of wandering, disconnecting from the frenzy of the world, and reconnecting with oneself encourage observation. You learn to marvel at everything, like a child discovering the world through untutored eyes.

That is how I came to notice dozens of species I had never seen before—simply because I had never looked for them. You do not have to go far to enjoy the infinite richness of nature, you just have to pay attention. I also discovered the fragile balance of interactions between species, the close relationships between them, and the incredible intelligence of life itself. Unfortunately, I also observed, with great sadness, that in just a few years, some species have visibly declined.

The impact of human activity on nature is a reality that has become impossible for me to ignore. We owe everything to Mother Nature, yet we mistreat her and, more often than not, ignore the incredible richness, beauty, and diversity of the microcosms that surround us. That is why I am eager to share this perspective, and I hope, through the magic of photography, to raise awareness of the fragility and beauty of nature among as many people as possible.

In the Enchanted Forest…

I am fortunate to live in the heart of the countryside, surrounded by forests, rivers, and ponds. As the seasons pass, I venture into these exceptional places with their fairytale atmosphere to recharge my spirit. I am particularly fond of spring when everything is reborn, even in the depths of the forest, in a hushed atmosphere of profound peace.

Carpets of flowers enchant us with their colors and scents, ferns unfurl in incredible spirals reaching for the sky, and tiny winged creatures take to the air in a marvelous ballet under the golden sunlight. In the undergrowth behind my house, delicate anemones bloom like little drops of dewy white light. Then, the wild hyacinths, like fairy bells, carpet the ground and bewitch us with their fragrance.

Next come the Bear’s Delight, small white flowers with a garlic scent that are a delight to both the eyes and gourmet palates. And finally, the unfurling ferns surprise us with their unique shapes before spreading their leafy wings towards the invigorating light of spring.

¡These moments of communion with nature’s rebirth are what I wish to share with you, hoping that you too can experience the magic of spring in the undergrowth!