Colossus

Arts and Entertainment, third prize singles

1995

Off the coast, a diver notes the location of a sphinx submerged in seven meters of water. Thought to have been thrown there by an earthquake long ago, the two-ton colossus was discovered near the site of the Pharos, the legendary lighthouse and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. A French archaeological expedition also found remains of the lighthouse itself.

Commissioned by: Sygma

Photo Credit:  Stephane Compoint

Stephane Compoint was born in 1961 and lives in Paris. Passion of photography since always, he became professional in 1979 and journalist in 1982. After collaborating with several French news agencies, he has been an independent photo-journalist since 2002.

He works with the leading French and international magazines, for which he mainly produces major reports of a cultural, historical, scientific or environmental nature.

Specializing in nearby aerial photography thanks to the use of a captive photo-ball of his design, he shoots mid-height shots at exclusive frames from 5 to 500 m In silence and without polluting emission.

An expert in underwater photography, whether in tropical (Bahamas), polar (North) or archaeological (the Alexandria Lighthouse), he also participates in expeditions in extreme environments (The Abel track in the Sahara, the Erebus expedition in Antarctica).

He produces reports and portraits for companies (Mont and Chandon, Total, Tarkett), foundations (Bettencourt Foundation, EDF Foundation), the world of tourism and more generally all production destined for The press, publishing or corporate.

Author of thirteen books, ten exhibitions and three international advertising campaigns (Gauloises, President, Assos) , he obtained ten photographic prizes (including two World Press Photo, for Firefighters of the Desert in Kuwait T in 1992 and for Le Phare d'Alexandrie in 1996).