How Michael Kenna turned mist & memory into 124 perfect photographs 📸

Photographer Michael Kenna brings 50 years of contemplative black and white landscapes to Nice's photography museum.

Dec 29, 2025

"Pont des Arts, Study 1," Paris, France, 1987. Donation Michael Kenna, ministère de la Culture, MPP.

While much of the French Riviera hibernates during the winter months, Nice remains a vibrant destination with plenty of arts and culture to enjoy. Temperatures hover in the mid-50s with mostly sunny days—perfect for meandering through Old Town and enjoying a socca (the town’s famous charred chickpea pancake) from a street vendor. Better yet, visit a museum or gallery, such as the Charles Nègre Museum of Photography, located off the Cours Saleya.

The museum will celebrate its 10th anniversary in its current home, a converted prefectural substation, in 2026. The venue hosts shows dedicated to individual artists and thematic group shows, along with a small curated library representing a broad range of photographers.

“Onishi Tree Shadow, Study 2,” Hokkaido, Japan, 2023. Donation Michael Kenna, ministère de la Culture, MPP.

Michael Kenna: Constellation is currently on display, shining a spotlight on the famed British photographer’s vast collection. The exhibit features 125 silver gelatin prints that capture Kenna’s global travels, from Asia and northern England to France’s formal Le Nôtre gardens.

Often shooting at dawn or dusk, Kenna uses long exposures to capture the undulating atmospheric quality of his subjects. Chosen from over 4,000 prints, the exhibit offers viewers insight into his creative process—a haunting juxtaposition of nature, architecture, and form.

“Plongeoir, bains militaires,” Nice, France, 1997. Michael Kenna, Coll. du Musée de la Photographie Charles Nègre.

Kenna grew up in a small, working-class town in northern England and spent seven years in a seminary before formally pursuing his artistic path at the Banbury School of Art and later the London College of Printing. Modernist photographer Ruth Bernhard served as a longtime mentor, but make no mistake—Kenna’s work is wholly unique.

“I feel like I’m asking for permission. I wait for a sign,” says Kenna of his process. “I feel like I’m communing with what surrounds us, as if I’m dialoguing with nature.” Once in the darkroom, he develops each print not as a faithful reproduction, but as a reimagining through shadow and light.