Magali
CHESNEL
Artist painter & self-taught photographer
Drone
Drone


Have you ever wondered how photos are created with a bird's eye view?
Working with drones allows you to see things we normally don’t have access to. You can capture and reveal the world from above all the year.
With a drone, I have the possibility to discover the world in new way, but it is important to not forget to convey an idea or evoke an emotion.
A drone is basically an extension of our eye and imagination. It is important to keep looking until we find something interesting.
Here is my Art land through my aerial photos taken with my drones.
Vous êtes-vous vous déjà demandé comment les photos sont créées avec une vue à vol d'oiseau?
Travailler avec des drones vous permet de voir des choses auxquelles nous n’avons normalement pas accès. Vous pouvez capturer, révéler et sublimer le monde d'en haut toute l'année.
Avec un drone, nous avons la possibilité de découvrir le monde d'une autre manière, mais il est important de ne pas oublier de transmettre une idée, évoquer une émotion.
Un drone est essentiellement une extension de notre œil et notre imagination. Il est essentiel de chercher jusqu'à ce que nous trouvions quelque chose de poignant.
Voici mon Art terrestre à travers mes photos aériennes prises avec mes drones.
All photographs are my own work & are mine. ©Magali CHESNEL
The harvest of road salt

I am fascinated by the salt marshes.
By observing them from above, you can behold the spectacular designs of Mother Nature. The intricate patterns, the actions and reactions of the elements which all blend together to form a canvas that never fails to impress.
Influenced and inspired by Rothko’s principles: relying on the primacy of raw emotion, to push the boundaries of form and color to make photos appear as "painting-like" as possible. At the same time showcasing nature’s natural magnificence through the simplest processes.
The harvesting of one of our natural resources: salt, on the salt marsh of Gruissan - France, is executed in a way that respects the harmony of nature preserving the biodiversity of its plants and birds.
Its salt is harvested directly from sea water and his types of salt extraction is the solar evaporation.
My aerial photo shows how the salt for de-icing the highways, streets..., is harvested during the summer time.
More than 15,000 tons of salt will be harvested in a few weeks for the road salt, as we can see here, some 200 tons, for human consumption and 30 tons to be sold as 'Flower of salt’.
Photo taken with my drone above the salt marsh of Gruissan -France.
Welcome to Brittany - France




Île Saint Martin - Gruissan
At the approach of the equinox, the salt worker (the guide of the waters) of the Saline of Gruissan empties one by one the tables, to collect the crystals of salt. This drying makes visible the salt layer which can vary from 4 to 7 cm of thickness.
Then comes the moment of manual and mechanical harvesting of the salt. More than 15,000 tons of industrial salt will be harvested in a few weeks, as well as a small production of heritage salt (200 tons of food salt) and 30 of Flower of salt.
Here, a tractor breaking the salt layer, giving birth to pastel color rails blooming with the Dunaliella salina, an algae rich in beta-carotene.
In 2018, the quality of the salt obtained the eco-label Value Natural Regional Natural Park, the first one in France.
À l'approche de l'équinoxe, le saunier (le guide des eaux) vide une à une les tables de leur saumure, pour récolter les cristaux de sel.
Cet assèchement rend alors visible la couche de sel qui peut varier de 4 à 7 cm d'épaisseur. Vient alors le moment de la "récolte mécanique", pour le sel industriel, qui peut être utilisé de 14 000 façons différentes : salage des routes, adoucisseurs d’eau, alimentation, cosmétique…
Ici, un tracteur brise la couche de sel, faisant naître des rails de couleurs grâce à la Dunaliella salina, une algue riche en béta-carotène.
Plus de 15000 tonnes de sel industriel seront récoltées en quelques semaines, une petite production de sel patrimonial (200 tonnes de sel alimentaire) et 30 de fleur de sel.
En 2018, le Salin a reçu l'éco-label Valeur Parc Naturel Régional Naturel, le premier de France!

At the approach of the equinox, the salt worker (the guide of the waters) empties one by one the tables, to collect the crystals of salt. This drying then makes visible the salt layer which can vary from 4 to 7 cm of thickness. Then comes the moment of "mechanical harvesting", for industrial salt. Here, a tractor breaking the salt layer, giving birth to color rails blooming with Dunaliella salina's one, rich in beta-carotene. More than 15,000 tons of salt will be harvested in a few weeks.


The "Salinalgue project" is part of an open-air research problem: producing micro algae in the Gruissan salt marshes and developing them into third-generation bio energy and bio products. The aim is to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of this sector as a source of biofuels, biogas and high value-added products. The development of seaweed farming is the future of new sustainable energies that will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions.

At the approach of the equinox, the salt worker (the guide of the waters) empties one by one the tables, to collect the crystals of salt. This drying then makes visible the salt layer which can vary from 4 to 7 cm of thickness. Then comes the moment of "mechanical harvesting", for industrial salt. Here, a tractor breaking the salt layer, giving birth to color rails blooming with Dunaliella salina's one, rich in beta-carotene. More than 15,000 tons of salt will be harvested in a few weeks.
Surfing on the Lake Léman - Switzerland
Storms accompanied by strong winds can produce waves on the Lake Léman in Switzerland, for the biggest pleasure of a small community of kitsurfers and a few surfers.
Conditions of lake surfing are not the same as on ocean.
When this occurs over a lake, the waves subside relatively quickly. This means lake surfers have a shorter window of opportunity to surf ideal waves.
In addition to making it more difficult to manage surfboards, Swiss high winds can make the face of a wave and water surface rough. The surface water temperature, when I took these pictures, occurred averages between 7 and 8 °C.
But putting on the wetsuit, carrying the board to the water, paddling out, feeling the earth fall out from under us, sitting, waiting and watching the kitesurfers catching waves, while the unique surfer is waiting for the wave, is the hard way from surfing on a Lake.
Pop-up! Get up! Eyes up! Catch the wave! Surf!
Series of photos taken with my drone, above the Lake Léman, Switzerland.
Les tempêtes accompagnées de vents violents peuvent produire des vagues sur le Lac Léman, en Suisse, pour le plus grand plaisir d'une petite communauté de kitsurfeurs et de quelques rares surfeurs. Les conditions de surf sur le Lac ne sont pas les mêmes que sur l'océan. Lorsque cela se produit, les vagues s'apaisent relativement rapidement. Cela signifie que les surfeurs de Lac n'ont qu'une petite fenêtre d'opportunité pour surfer sur des vagues idéales. Lorsque j'ai pris cette photo, la température de l'eau était en moyenne entre 7 et 8°C. Enfiler sa combinaison, porter sa planche de surf à l'eau, pagayer, sentir la terre nous échapper, rester assis, patienter et regarder les kitesurfeurs jouer avec les vagues, tandis que l'unique surfeur attend sa vague, c'est l'impitoyable règle de surfer sur le Lac Léman. Pagayes! Hisses-toi ! Lèves tes yeux! Attrapes la vague! Surfes!
Série de photos prises avec mon drone, au-dessus du Lac Léman, en Suisse.