The Rebirth

Elise Crombez and Camille Robiou du Pont capture the power and poetry of raw beauty

- MIA CASTRO 

MEGA has worked with French, Siargao-based photographer Camille Robiou du Pont for quite some time now, and one of the main reasons she is so beloved by the team is because once a subject steps in front of her lens, that person's innermost sincerity can be captured in its entirety. It's stylized, yes, but with Robiou du Pont's style, she is able to do away with any unnecessary glamor, instead lets and nature-in different forms, from waterfalls to rocky shores-help tell the story of her subject. This might not be the ideal scenario to work with for other photographers, but for Robiou du Pont, it's precisely this freedom that allows her and whoever she's working with to fully come alive. "Reconnecting with nature really helped my creativity and, in parallel, my peace to grow," she explains. "It gives me an infinite story of colors and textures and lights-it's like a song that helps me to feel calmer."

So, what happens when she coincidentally meets Elise Crombez, an international Belgian model, while on a trip to Batukaras, Indonesia? A series of poetic images where a woman is liberated from the myth of perfection and youth-is born. "We are both drawn to natural beauty," Crombez recalls. "The place where we were in West Java is so pure and simple-the people, nature, and the magic of the ocean."

The 40-year-old model has graced the covers of global magazines and is a muse of famed fashion photographer Steven Meisel. She has walked for legendary designers Miuccia Prada, Marc Jacobs, and John Galliano, just to name a few.