Imagined by Philippe Boucher, the Paris–Cap Nord Photo Raid, the 21st edition of which will take place from July 21 to August 21, is an adventure of 12,000 kilometers across all the Scandinavian countries, punctuated by seven photographic hikes.
For Sylvie Berthoz, it was a dream. Françoise Garin, for her part, let herself be seduced by the challenge. The first is a photographer, portraitist for France 2021 and European photographer 2023, her studio Eucléia has been based in Saint-Gilles since May 2024. The second, a retired trader, lives in Osny in Val-d’Oise. These two sixties, friends for around twenty years, are preparing to participate in the 21st Paris–Cap Nord Photo Raid which will take place from July 21 to August 21.
Departing from the Château de Vincennes located on the outskirts of Paris, the female duo will set off on an adventure, a 12,000 km journey punctuated by eight stages in Belgium, Germany, Denmark and the Scandinavian countries before returning to the French capital. The event, open to all, is not timed, it is a partially autonomous photographic journey, during which participants will have to show creativity. Each stage is punctuated by photo challenges in nature reserves or national parks around the Arctic Circle, on isolated islands little known to tourists, during the ascent of the most beautiful peaks of the Scandinavian Alps, in the middle of the region of one hundred thousand lakes in Finland… Each crew will also have to produce a report on a set theme. But the Paris-Cap Nord Photo Raid is also about meetings, solidarity, ecological actions, as well as treks whose challenge, once again, is not to be the first, but simply – so to speak – to reach the end in order to count points.
Nicknamed The adventurers of the objectiveSylvie and Françoise have given themselves the mission of capturing the essence of Nordic nature and human encounters, while defending the values of curiosity, respect and wonder. Both in search of sensations, the two friends also want to prove “that at 61 and 65 years old, we are capable of taking on challenges“, underlines the photographer, a fan of long trips. “We are very happy, it will take us out of our daily lives, we will have to manage our car for example, we will certainly encounter difficulties, but it will force us to be consistent in our ideas“, enthuses Françoise, who traveled 1,200 km on foot on the way to Compostela this year. When they return from their trip, the two adventurers will offer a photographic exhibition as well as a musical slideshow to their future partners. To support Sylvie and Françoise: [email protected], franç[email protected]. Note that companies benefit from a tax reduction equivalent to 60% of the amount of donations carried out.