Interesting Photo of the Day: Leading Lines at Mont Saint Michel

Interesting Photos

Just off the northwestern coast of Normandy, France, sits a tiny, lush island named Mont Saint Michel. The island, which is populated by a whopping 44 residents and herds upon herds of sheep, gets its name from the sizable monastery that calls it home: the beautiful Chemins de la Baie du Mont Saint Michel. Many photographers have documented the monastery’s beauty, but in the image below, Florent Criquet perfectly captured the majesty of the surrounding landscape as well:

“Mont Saint Michel” by Florent Criquet (Via 500px. Click to see full size.)

Beyond its basic technical prowess, “Mont Saint Michel” succeeds for one major reason: Criquet composed the frame to make expert use of naturally-occurring leading lines throughout the landscape. The winding stream and shoreline lead the viewer’s eye directly to the monastery, supplemented by the angled stratus clouds in both the sky and the stream and the lines in the grass. The result is a thoroughly compelling image of Mont Saint Michel, the likes of which we haven’t seen.

Captured with his Canon 5D EOS Mark III and 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM ultra-wide angle lens set at 21mm, 1/3, f/9, and ISO 50.