Phantom Pyramid Mountain, Mount Rocciamelone, Susa Valley, Italy

Mr Bereto, a professional musician, originally noticed the beautiful illusion while on a camping trip in the area. His two day trips - usually alone, but sometimes with his partner - follow the same routine of watching the sunset, followed by the stars and then the sunrise. His aim was to catch a shadow falling across a valley, which creates the spectacular illusion of an extra mountain appearing on the horizon.
'I was setting things up to spend the night at high altitude and getting a bit of clean snow to melt for water. Looking east I saw this massive area, like a huge mantle, conical and dark. I thought "Wow". The mountain seemed to be projecting itself into the valleys below. I've seen many shadows around the Alps, all kinds of reflection and endless plays of light, but I've never seen such a perfect shadow anywhere else. What I love about these photos is that the phenomenon is totally natural. No one would be surprised to see his own shadow on the sidewalk while walking in the city. Shadows are just part of our daily lives. The physical process there is the same, but applied to the immensity of a mountain. For me this parallel between the ordinary and the immense leads to a sort of "rediscovery", making me think about the laws that govern our lives all the time.'