LUC ROYMANS (second) nature

Luc Roymans (1977) graduated from the Department of Photography at the KDG School for Audiovisual Techniques, Antwerp, in 1999. After experimenting with a range of photographic practices, he chose specifically to focus on and specialise in nature and architecture/interior design photography. Learning different aspects from each, he was able to apply this knowledge and develop his own style.

There are many parallels between architecture and the natural world: the erratic and regular lines; the dynamics of the different shapes and forms; and the highlights and shadows. Nature photography is a meditative practice, where time stops and being in the moment is all that matters, blending into the rhythm of nature and connecting with its forces. The work is challenging, patiently waiting for hours, occasionally days, in harsh freezing cold or sweltering heat conditions, without much shelter or comfort.

Nature photography is an adventure; the often long and gruelling journey to the location, the unpredictable weather, the game of hide and seek, those rare but magical moments when a wild animal gets so close that its breathe is all that can be heard and felt. There are those moments too when the photographer is rendered speechless, choosing not to photograph, but to experience that instant with all the senses.