Mathilde Quignon Photography – French Photographer

MATHILDE QUIGNON

Photographer

French traveler, currently in Cannes, specialized in street photography and portraiture. I’m always on the move, trying new things.

I take my energy in the streets, meeting new people and wandering. While I travel, I like to challenge myself and my creativity, constantly enriching my perspectives.

I’m fascinated by human emotions and make it an obsession to capture them, wheter it’s in my street or portrait photography.

Hit me with your questions and your projects, I’ll be glad to assist you!

Let’s start creating!

mathildeqgn

Memories from our visit in a Lahu village last yea

Thailand, I'm back! 🇹🇭 I'll be spending anot

And with that, the 2022 season comes to an end. 🎆

What a year !
From Thailand, Budapest and hiking Kilimanjaro, to a realignment with myself and my values. But also meeting extraordinary people, exploring new ideas and projects, and 2 businesses that are still rolling🌞

I have tons of plans for 2023, but the main one is to not limit myself 🚀. Let's make this next year even better 🎉

#travelphotographer
#adventurephotography #hikingphotography #kilimandjaro #kilimanjaro #andwiththatthe2022seasoncomestoanend #2022season #2022adventures #digitalnomad #digitalnomads #digitalnomadlifestyle

To the top of the highest mountain in Africa !
📷 @mathildeqgn

Hiking and celebrating my 30th birthday on Mt Kilimanjaro was one of the most extraordinary and memorable experiences of my life ! 🏔️

During those 8 days I walked :
- 166 027 footsteps
- 71km
- 46h18
And drank 36 liters of water 😅

#kilimanjaro #kilimandjaro #uhuru #uhurupeak #mtkilimanjaro #tanzania #traveltanzania #hikingadventures #7summits #kilimangiaro #ihike #mountainphotography #mountainhunting #mountainhiking #ilovehiking

THE PRINT SHOP IS OPEN 🛒 !! Link in bio 👀 I

DAY 8 Kilimanjaro 8 days trek via Lemosho route Oc

(2/2) DAY 7 Kilimanjaro 8 days trek via Lemosho ro

(1/2) DAY 7 Kilimanjaro 8 days trek via Lemosho ro

DAY 6 Kilimanjaro 8 days trek via Lemosho route Oc

DAY 5 Kilimanjaro 8 days trek via Lemosho route 🏔
Oct 22 2022, Tanzania 🇹🇿

From Baranco camp (3900m) to the top of Baranco wall (4200m) to Karanga camp (3995m)
- 5 km
- 14355 steps
- 4h50 of walking
- 6 / 17 °C
- 4,5L of water drunk
- Sunny and smoky
- Moorland zone

Day 5: Woke up this foggy morning super excited to climb Barranco wall. It is a very steep part of Kilimanjaro, full of rocks and some challenging passages. No need to "rock climb", but you do need to climb on rocks. It was harder then I expected, but I had lots of fun! And once again, I was amazed by how the porters climbed it with so much ease, with bags on their heads and back 🤯

We climbed for 1 hour and a half, and I was so concentrated, that I barely noticed the fog that was getting thicker. Finnaly we arrived at the top (4200m), felt really proud of me, and thanked myself for those 3 weeks of training that payed off on that wall. But quickly my mood changed as the smell of smoke that I've noticed the day before was getting stronger. My suspicions were quickly confirmed, and the guide told us that a fire was happening on the mountain, just a few kilometers bellow us.

In a matter of minutes, the general atmosphere changed. Guide and porters were exchanging information in Swahili, hikers were asking questions, and we were all very worried about the outcome of this trek.

We continued to walk towards our next camp that was still 3h30 away, and felt the tension rising. Eli our guide was worried that the summit might close, because the latest news were that it was a big fire. Eli also asked me to go easy on me, because I have asthma, and was beginning coughing. I put my buff (it's like a tube scarf) on the nose and mouth, and breathed through it 😷

I was beginning to stress. First, because the smoke was terrible (we couldn't see further than 50 meters ahead of us!), also the fact that the fire was growing fast, but mostly because they might close the summit, and that would end the dream. Thankfully we didn't need to worry about the fire caughting us because at that point we were in moorland zone, and there's practically no vegetation (continue in comments...)

DAY 4 Kilimanjaro 8 days trek via Lemosho route 🏔
Oct 21 2022, Tanzania 🇹🇿

From Shira 2 camp (3850m) to Lava Tower (4600m) to Baranco camp (3900m)
- 10 km
- 25132 steps
- 7h25 of walking
- 5 / 15 °C
- 6L of water drunk
- Sunny and cloudy
- Moorland zone & Alpine desert

Day 4 : This day was special because we did an acclimatization hike to Lava Tower at 4600m. The goal was to have lunch there, then to go back down to Barranco Camp for the night. The start was lots of fun, I loved that we were walking towards the summit mount (Kibo), it felt like we were getting there soon. It was my favorite day since we started 4 days ago! After 5 hours of climbing, 3 liters of water drunk and 9 mini breaks to pee behind a rock, we finally made it to Lava Tower for lunch. It was the highest I ever been in my life (previous record being 3750m at Acatenango volcano last year), and I didn't felt any altitude sickness symptoms 🎉

Lunch was quick and delicious (still don't know how our chef Jackson was able to make such incredible meals on the mountain!), and in a blink of an eye we were back on the trail, going down down down until Barranco Camp. The way down was harder I thought, because of my ACL that I torn a few years ago, my right knee is weaker, which makes me extra cautious. A little before we arrived at the camp, the guide turned to me and asked if I smelled smoke, which I did. He told me there could be a fire nearby, and began to tell me about the devasting fire that happened in 2020.

As we finally arrived, we faced Barranco Wall, and saw what was waiting for us the next morning. Finally finished the day by taking pictures of the night sky, and got to sleep early, still in the dark about what was happening on the mountain underneath us...

#porterkilimanjaro #kpap #trekthetrails #trekphotography #trekking #tanzania #traveltanzania #visittanzania #tanzaniaphotography #tanzaniatravel #travelphotographer #streetmoment #icapturemoments #capturingmoments #travelafrica #africaphotography #mountkilimanjaro #lemosho #lemoshoroute #lemoshogate
@kilimanjaroporters
@mboniadventures_tz

DAY 3 Kilimanjaro 8 days trek via Lemosho route 🏔
Oct 20 2022, Tanzania 🇹🇿

From Shira 1 camp (3610m) to Shira 2 camp (3850m)
- 10 km
- 18969 steps
- 4h of walking
- 5 / 17 °C
- 4,5L of water drunk
- Sunny and cloudy (and in the clouds!)
- Moorland zone

Day 3 : What a cold night ! Woke up into a frozen land that began to melt only when the sun touched the ground around 6:30am. Was really grateful for that one fleece jacket I had bought in Decathlon 10 days before, telling myself "It's probably too warm, I should not buy it". Thank god I did, because I used it every night!

After a hot tea in bed, a quick "wash", and a delicious breakfast, we started the hike around 8am, under a brilliant weather. It was supposed to be an easier hike than the day before, but altitude decided otherwise. I was short of breath from the start, which stressed me out, and made me even more out of breath. So I got my earphones out, put on some instrumental music, and slowed down a little my pace. "Mathilde, polé polé" I told myself for the remaining of the walk, and began to comprehend the full extent of those 2 words, that would help me for the rest of the week, and beyond...

Arrived at Shira 2 camp around noon, and felt the urge to sleep (I am NOT a napper, but wanted to sleep so badly every afternoon 😅). Couldn't though because we were asked to do an acclimatization hike for another hour back and forth to gain 100 meters of altitude in our body. Turns out, it was exactly what I needed physically, but also mentally! We went up with our guides (Eli & Tony), and Godbless, one of the porters that wants to become a guide, and had so much fun! We put some music on, and shared our favorites tunes, sang and even danced a little 😅
On the top of that hill, there was some rocks pilled up, I picked one, and added it to one of the rocks that had a 30 written on it. It's such a poetic way to say "I was here". So I kept the habit and did it all along the trek to the top 🪨

When we came back, the sun was setting down and revealed one of the most beautiful sunsets I ever witnessed. Magical day, that started off not without difficulty, and ended up in orange clouds 🌄

DAY 2 Kilimanjaro 8 days trek via Lemosho route 🏔
Oct 19 2022, Tanzania 🇹🇿

From Mkubwa camp (2650m) to Shira 1 camp (3610m)
- 7 km
- 18001 steps
- 5h45 of walking
- -5 / 15 °C
- 4L of water drunk
- Sunny and cloudy
- Rainforest & moorland zone

Day 2 : We got up at 5:15 am, after a first night that was bumpy, as I wanted to pee every hour (side effect of Diamox, a med for better altitude acclimatization). Started the hike at 7:05, and walked for almost 6 hours. It was a challenging day as it was steeper. But we were constantly reminded to go Polé Polé! It means : slowly slowly in Swahili, but also a philosophy of life. If you push yourself right from the start, you're sure not to cross the finish line. Whereas you take it one small step at a time, and it can lead you to 5895 meters high!

As the guides imposed the pace I started to slow down, and enjoy the journey even more. We got to talk and laugh along the way, and I even learned to count to 10 in Swahili 😉

Arrived at Shira 1 for lunch at 12:50pm, where our tents were already settled (these guys have superpowers, seriously!). During the afternoon, all the team gathered and sang us the Kilimanjaro song! I loooved that moment, we got to bound and even dance haha (check my stories for the song, and some more content of today)

@mboniadventures_tz
@kenzaalissa

#porterkilimanjaro #kpap #trekthetrails #trekphotography #trekking #tanzania #traveltanzania #visittanzania #tanzaniaphotography #tanzaniatravel #travelphotographer #streetmoment #icapturemoments #capturingmoments #travelafrica #africaphotography #mountkilimanjaro #lemosho #lemoshoroute #lemoshogate kilimanjaroporterstz

DAY 1 Kilimanjaro 8 days trek via Lemosho route 🏔
Oct 18 2022, Tanzania 🇹🇿

From Lemosho Gate (2100m) to Mkubwa camp (2650m)
- 7 km
- 12588 steps
- 2h35 of walking
- 10 / 18 °C
- 5L of water drunk
- Cloudy and humid

Day 1 : We got to meet the team of porters that would help us for the next week, and got in the car for a 2 hours and a half of driving to Lemosho Gate. 1 guide (Eli), 1 assistant guide (Tony), 1 cook (Jackson), and 9 porters, for the 2 of us! @mboniadventures_tz
On our way there, we were so lucky to see giraffes! Free safari, yeah!

Once we arrived at the gate, our bags got weighted (max 15kg), we ate a very good lunch prepared by our cook, that announced that we would be very well fed for the whole trek.

2pm sharp: the first step of a series of more than 160 000 to come 🥾
A short day to start off this adventure, pretty easy and fun through the beautiful Kilimanjaro rainforest. Even saw monkeys!

#rainforest #colobusmonkey #tanzania #traveltanzania #visittanzania #tanzaniaphotography #tanzaniatravel #travelphotographer #streetmoment #icapturemoments #capturingmoments #travelafrica #africaphotography #mountkilimanjaro #lemosho #lemoshoroute #lemoshogate

Oct 17 2022, Moshi Town, Tanzania 🇹🇿 Kids, m

Last autumn vibes 🍁 Seoul & Gyeongju, 2019 #b

Memories of an autumn in Korea 🇰🇷🍂🍁 Gy

Korean pavilions 🏯 In Gyeongju & Changdeokgung

Gangnam sunset #gangnam #seoul #seoulphotography

Nostalgia hit me again. Finding myself editing une

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