Mount Pinatubo

Nature, first prize stories

00-06-1991

Over 330 dead and 250,000 homeless was the tragic toll of the eruptions. The 1,780m high volcano had lain dormant for over 600 years. Mass evacuation got underway as ash and stones rained from the sky. Nearby US Clark Air Force Base sustained so much damage that the Pentagon decided to close it.

Commissioned by: Le Figaro Magazine

Photo Credit: Philippe Bourseiller

Philippe Bourseiller travels through the vast open spaces that Nature has created on our planet with his Canon in hand. For nearly fifteen years, his fascination with all that is extreme in Nature (volcanoes, huge deserts of sand and ice) has left him to scour the planet in order to provide us with photographic testimonies of these wonders.

In 1983, he joined the staff of France Soir Magazine. This was his initiation to color photography, and all types of subjects were seen through the eye of his camera. In 1991, his decision to become a free-lance photographer was motivated by his desire to specialize in subjects related to Nature and the Environment.

Recognized worldwide for his mastery in light, color and layout he has received several World Press Awards and a Visa d’Or at the International Photo-Journalism Festival in Perpignan, France.

He frequently collaborates with world renowned magazines such as GEO, Paris Match, Stern, LIFE, National Geographic.. And has published over twenty books that have been translated in several languages.