Camargue X — The Moment Everything Shifted

There are certain moments in life where everything quietly — or not so quietly — changes. Camargue X was one of those moments for me.

I took this image during a trip to the Camargue, in the south of France. It was one of those early morning shoots where the air is cool, the light is soft, and you’re buzzing with anticipation. I was standing in position, camera ready, waiting. And then it happened — a group of white horses suddenly thundered past, just metres away.

It was intense. The ground trembled, the energy in the air was electric, and for a moment, everything else disappeared. I wasn’t thinking technically or worrying about getting the “right” shot — I just followed my instinct, responded to what I was feeling, and pressed the shutter.

When I got back and looked through the images, this one stopped me completely.

It wasn’t just about motion or blur. It had captured something much deeper — the emotion of that moment. I could feel the power, the grace, the connection. And more than that, I could see myself in it. My emotion, my creativity, my perspective.

It hit me that this wasn’t just another horse photo. It felt different. It was more raw, more expressive — almost abstract in a way — but it still carried the essence of what I love about horses: their movement, their freedom, their soul.

A New Chapter

Camargue X changed the way I saw my work. Before this moment, I’d always approached photography with a sense of purpose and professionalism, of course, but this… this opened a new creative door. It made me realise that I didn’t want to just document horses anymore — I wanted to express something. To create art that came from within, and hopefully spoke to something within others too.

That image sparked a shift in how I work. It gave me permission to play, to explore, to go deeper into my own creative instincts. It became the seed that grew into my fine art collections — blending photography with texture, story, and emotion. It was the first piece where I truly felt like an artist, not just a photographer.

For the Walls of People Who Feel It Too

Since that moment, my dream has been to create art that lives on people’s walls — not just because it’s beautiful (though that’s part of it), but because it feels like something. Maybe a reminder of their own wild spirit, or a sense of calm, or the love they have for horses and nature.

Camargue X was the beginning of that dream — and it’s still one of my most meaningful pieces. It’s available as part of my Le Cheval de la Mer collection, and you can see it here if you’d like to take a closer look:

👉 emilyhancock.co.uk/products/camargue-x

Thanks for reading this far — it means the world to be able to share the why behind the work. If this piece speaks to you, I’d love to know.

Emily x