It took luck, and especially talent, to capture this shot, which has gone viral, of the storm Justine.
In full decomposition, the wave revealed a face that could be that of Poseidon, god of the sea and the oceans in Greek mythology.
In any case, this is what the photographer Mathieu Rivrin thought of when he named his work.
Taken in Lesconil, in South Finistère, not far from Quimper, the photograph, published on its site (mathieurivrin.com) and on Instagram, has been around social networks since its publication on Tuesday, February 2.
More than 34,500 likes in six days on Instagram, numerous shares and comments from Internet users who rave about it: "A wild nature, magnificent whoua", "Superb beautiful photo.
Congratulations ”,“ This is a chance that will not happen twice ”.
Anticipation and know-how
Lucky, not only… On the day of the shooting, Saturday January 30, around ten photographers were present at this popular spot.
But only Mathieu Rivrin knew how to seize the moment.
Although this freelance photographer remains modest and describes his prowess as a “blow of the pot”, his know-how and his knowledge are certainly there for a lot.
About ten days earlier, the storm chaser photographer had spotted two interesting swells on the weather sites he frequently consults.
“We needed a south-facing dike, relative to the direction of the wind, for the waves to crash into it.
I know the place by heart.
I spent four hours there that day.
The best moment was around 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. ”, explained the artist to the Telegram.
The @mathieurivrin wave broken down over 1 second.
When the magician reveals his secrets 🙏🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/O8kLWivtRK
- Benoît Thibaut (@BenTybo) February 5, 2021
Mathieu Rivrin is the first to be delighted with the enthusiasm generated by this photo.
He offered, in an Instagram story, the decomposition of the wave in a second.
Enough to realize the magic of the moment immortalized.