Montier Photo Festival The essential Rendez-Vous for nature photography

“The adventure began in 1996, when a group of friends with a passion for photography decided to organize a weekend around the prestigious exhibition presented each year by BBC Wildlife Magazine and London’s Natural History Museum.
Dubbed the “Salon régional de la photo animalière et de nature”, this first event attracted almost 4,000 visitors over 2 days! The festival quickly became a must-attend event for amateur and professional photographers, nature lovers and the general public alike.
Located just a few kilometers from its shores, Montier-en-Der is the gateway to the Lac du Der, where tens of thousands of cranes stop over in autumn: this natural event was the reason for choosing the date of the festival.
Some very famous patrons have taken turns at previous editions: from Allain BOUGRAIN-DUBOURG in 1997, to Rez and Kyriakos KAZIRAS in 2017, via Yann ARTHUS-BERTRAND in 1999, Jean-Louis ETIENNE in 2001, Hubert REEVES in 2005, and Isabelle AUTISSIER and Vincent MUNIER in 2013. Each year, personalities from different horizons are invited to sponsor the festival.

“Every year, for 4 days, the festival welcomes the best nature photographers, offering the 40,000 visitors 100 original, high-quality exhibitions, most of them previews (indoors and outdoors), representing 2,000 photos spread over 15 sites. It’s an ideal opportunity to discuss and reflect on wildlife photography, nature, the environment, ecology and photographic techniques. It also focuses on man’s relationship with the environment and with animals. The event brings together the world’s leading photographers and naturalists. Their presence over the four days of the event is one of the festival’s greatest assets!
In addition to the photographic exhibitions, there’s a section devoted entirely to photographic and optical equipment, with presentations and demonstrations of the latest innovations in accessories specifically for nature photography.
Environmental education and sustainable development also play an important role at Montier, with no fewer than 4,000 children taking part each year in numerous workshops and nature outings specially designed for them.”

“There’s no shortage of memories in 22 years, but I’d particularly like to single out a landmark exhibition in 1999, “L’Afrique grandeur nature” by Christine and Michel DENIS-HUOT.
This real technical feat by Rush Labo made it a world first, with photos of elephants and giraffes 5m high!
Beyond the dimensions, the most striking anecdote lies in the production times. In addition to a lack of experience and the need to improvise, last-minute problems such as a shortage of ink cartridges had to be rushed in from Spain.
In the end, the last photos arrived overnight, just hours before the opening. Thanks to a local company, “Fer et Traditions”, it was possible to hang the pictures and welcome the public at 9 a.m. with complete peace of mind… Apparently so.
This exhibition left a lasting impression on all festival-goers and continues to contribute to the reputation of the Montier Festival.”