A newly installed security light has effectively ended the three-year run of a beloved nighttime photography location at the Bénesse-lès-Dax windmill in the Landes region of southwestern France. Amateur photographers and astronomy enthusiasts who regularly gathered at this elevated site to capture the night sky say they have lost access to one of the region's most pristine stargazing locations.
For several years, the hilltop location surrounding the restored windmill had become a popular gathering place for night photographers, amateur astronomers, and storm chasers. The site, which underwent restoration in 2018, offered a rare combination of elevation, clear views, and sufficient distance from urban light pollution to provide exceptional celestial viewing conditions. The location attracted not only photographers but also couples on romantic walks and curious visitors who came simply to admire the stars.
However, since August, a bright spotlight installed directly facing the historic monument has dramatically compromised the site's value for night photography. Thomas Castel, an amateur photographer who has been a regular visitor since 2022, expressed his frustration by announcing to his 11,000 Facebook followers that he would no longer visit the location. "We've lost 80 percent of the sky," Castel lamented, describing the end of what had been a nearly three-year tradition.
Castel's connection to the windmill site began in 2022 during a period of personal difficulty. "Following a bout of severe depression, I started going up to the windmill. I felt good there," he explained. "I began visiting at night, first two or three times a week, then almost every evening." His nighttime photography at the location quickly gained popularity on social media, with some of his images from the region going viral.
The photographer's story carries additional weight given his personal circumstances. After a medical accident in 2022 that initially left him facing the prospect of wheelchair dependency, Castel has recovered the use of his legs but remains physically diminished. He has been seeking support to return to professional photography work, making the loss of this accessible and productive shooting location particularly significant.
Local authorities defend the lighting installation as a necessary security measure. Sébastien Boucheré, president of the Ailes Bénessoises association, and Jean-Marie Abadie, the mayor of Bénesse-lès-Dax, have acknowledged installing cameras and lighting to protect the site from vandalism and unauthorized activities.
The conflict highlights the tension between preserving dark skies for astronomical observation and meeting security needs for public monuments. The Bénesse-lès-Dax windmill site was unique in the Landes region as potentially the only elevated location sufficiently isolated from civilization to offer exceptional night sky viewing conditions. The loss of this resource represents a significant blow to the local amateur astronomy and night photography community, who now find themselves without a comparable alternative in the area.
