French television personality Iris Mittenaere poses on the red carpet during arrivals for the screening of the film “Alpha” in competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 19, 202. (Photo by Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters)

A French Cancan dancer performs in front of the Moulin Rouge cabaret during celebrations marking the restart of its iconic windmill with red sails, in Paris, France on July 10, 2025. (Photo by Tom Nicholson/Reuters)

What do superheroes do when they’re not busy fighting bad guys and saving the world from destruction? Perhaps they’re drawing strength alone in the peace and quiet of the great outdoors. That’s the premise of French photographer Benoit Lapray‘s photo-manipulation series “The Quest for the Absolute.”

French actress Roxane Mesquida (L) and Josephine De La Baume exchange a kiss on the red carpet prior the screening of “The company you keep” during the 69th Venice Film Festival on September 6, 2012 at Venice Lido. “The company you keep” is presented out of competition. (Photos by Tiziana Fabi/Gabriel Bouys/Christine Pettinger/AFP Photo)

“Romain de Tirtoff (23 November 1892 – 21 April 1990) was a Russian-born French artist and designer known by the pseudonym Erté, the French pronunciation of his initials, R.T. He was a diversely talented 20th-century artist and designer who flourished in an array of fields, including fashion, jewellery, graphic arts, costume and set design for film, theatre, and opera, and interior decor”. – Wikipedia. Photo: Romain de Tirtoff (Erte) – “Symphony In Black” (please click to enlarge).

The sanctuary of Lourdes flooded, in Lourdes, southwestern France, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. French rescue services and police are evacuating hundreds of pilgrims from hotels threatened by floodwaters from a rain-swollen river in the Roman Catholic shrine town of Lourdes. (Photo by Bob Edme/AP Photo)

A French farmer leads her cow through the livestock area as preparations continue on the eve of the opening of the International Agricultural Show in Paris, France, February 26, 2016. The Paris Farm Show runs from February 27 to March 6, 2016. (Photo by Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

A worker displays paper pandas created by French artist Paulo Grangeon in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 4, 2016. The exhibit is part of the World Wide Fund's project where the 1600 paper pandas symbolize the last pandas still present in nature.(Photo by Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo)