Below the Pic du Midi d'Ossau

With its twin summit, unlike any other, the Pic du Midi d'Ossau (2,884 metres) is the emblem of the Béarn. On clear days it can be seen from the Boulevard des Pyrénées in Pau, and locals affectionately call it "Jean-Pierre". This broken-tooth silhouette is what remains of an ancient volcano, nearly 280 million years old, laid bare by erosion.

The series looks at it from afar, through a telephoto lens, beyond the hills and the summer haze that layers the ridges in shades of blue. Closer in, at the foot of the mountains, the villages of the foothills spread out between meadows fenced with wooden rails and forests. Along the way: horses in the shade of the trees, a Blonde d'Aquitaine cow in its pasture, the church of Buzy at the entrance to the Ossau Valley, moss on the rocks and a dolmen, one of the stone monuments raised here thousands of years ago.

These royalty-free photos suit stories about the mountains, rural life, hiking or travel in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, and can be downloaded for free on Pexels.