Dordogne
With a background in optical instrumentation, it comes as no surprise that engineer-turned-photographer Pierre-Louis Ferrer is inspired by a “passion for the properties of light.” Since shifting gears in 2012, Ferrer has focused on digital infrared photography, culminating in several series that transform French landscapes into dream-like destinations.
Ferrer’s photographs are set in different locations across France, including Dordogne in the southwest, Savoie in the southeast, and Paris at the center. In addition to featured locale, each series is defined by the special filters employed by Ferrer and, consequently, the surreal color palettes that emerge.
In his series set in Dordogne, canary yellow foliage stands out against slightly desaturated backdrops. Similarly, in his photographs of Savoie, lush landscapes are dyed a candy-apple red inspired by Kodak aerochrome. And, in Paris Invisible, Ferrer cloaks the capital in mysterious, milky tones that “offer an alternative view of this famous city and create a contrast between the purity of the nature and the city.”
Ferrer’s Dordogne-set series was his first foray into this unique form of photography. “I discovered digital infrared photography in 2012, during my studies in optic and sensors engineering,” he tells My Modern Met. “Then, after several attempts to master this technique, I realized my first series in 2016 in Dordogne, when I decided to use a selective filter mixing infrared light and visible light.”
Fittingly, this series is currently on-view in the enchanting gardens of Marqueyssac in Dordogne. If you can’t make it to the exhibition, be sure to stop by Ferrer’s Instagram page.
Using special infrared filters, photographer Pierre-Louis Ferrer turns locales in France into otherworldly landscapes. Some feature surreal pops of canary yellow.
Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne
Others adopt a color reminiscent of a candy apple.
Savoie
Savoie
Dordogne
And some are simply “white and dreamy.”
Paris
Paris
Paris
Paris
Paris