How did your interest in wildlife arise?
When I was very young, my father gave me a space at the back of the house of only one square meter, where instead of the construction debris I had put plants with flowers and we had a toad, that was “my garden” as was written on the sign we had painted. I still remember waking up in the morning and hurrying to visit my toad and water the plants that always had flowers (surely my father changed them periodically). At four years old we moved to Patagonia and I went from living in a city of concrete to being surrounded only by nature, my fascination was immense, “my garden” extended beyond the horizon.
In the afternoon, my father took us on a walk through the Patagonian steppe in search of insects and lizards. We captured those we could to observe in detail and released them back quickly so they could reunite with their family. I lived a large part of my childhood in a peripheral neighborhood, where if you crossed the street, the countryside began. Such strong contact with wildlife plus the love for the nature that my parents taught me, I think has been decisive in my greater passion to take care of the environment.
How do you describe your journey as a photographer and a person?
For more than 20 years, I have been professionally dedicated to caring for the environment. My work constantly takes me to natural spaces that must be protected, or to places that unfortunately have been degraded and must be evaluated for re-composition and subsequent evolution. Photography is a very useful tool to study the changes that occur in the environment.
This is the way I got initiated with photography. At first as a work tool, but little by little, it attracted me more and more. When my second daughter started primary school, I decided that I could study photography, I started my photographic development with the camera I had at hand, a journey that I will never stop, since I have a lot to learn and discover, and I feel that my whole life will be insufficient to complete it.
That is why I work daily in nature photography, I study a lot, I take photos periodically and I also dedicate a lot of energy to the Argentine Nature Photography Association -AFONA-, since I believe that collective projects enhance individual actions.
What is your view on Nature Conservation? How can we, as wildlife photographers, help to protect our Mother Nature?
I work directly for the protection of the environment, so my opinion is quite sad to hear. Although several decades have been spent working everywhere to improve the environmental management of companies and the responsible use of resources, the destruction of ecosystems in general is much greater than the results of protection actions.
To improve this imbalance, in addition to the commitment of private companies and government institutions, the commitment of all of us is essential. It is necessary that all the inhabitants of the planet to participate daily in the realization of actions of protection and care of natural resources. There is still much to do, and you must keep fighting hard and not lower your guard.
Nature photography can be useful for others to discover details, animals or places they probably would not know, except through our camera. Our photos should sensitize the viewer, transmit a message, so that those who see it feel the need to take care of that beauty they are looking through the photo, or who have the need to get to work to change and improve the situation photographed.
Can you give our readers the best bird or wildlife photography tips?
Patience. It is key in this type of photography to have a lot of patience. As you devote yourself to nature photography, you understand that taking a picture usually takes a lot of time and effort to wait for hours for that light, a look, a gesture, an instant.
Perseverance. As we depend on the collaboration of nature to obtain the photo we are looking for, many times the animal we hope to photograph does not appear or the weather conditions change and we return home without any photo. But we assimilate a lot of information, so that the next trip we have more chances to achieve the photo we want. If you are willing to give up everything while remaining in the chosen path for as long as it takes; if the inclemency and discomforts that arise do not affect you; if you have the ability to overcome difficulties; you will surely arrive to get to take the photos you are dreaming of. The road is not easy, but the gratification is so great that it is worth living. To do this you have to try again and again, and again, until what you want comes out.
Time. It is essential to have the necessary time to stay on the site for hours or days, until you find the moment when the photo you have in mind is produced.
While there are places where the opportunities are greater, the luck of being there as long as necessary without time limits will give the place additional potential.
Therefore, in addition to being in the right place, it is essential to take the necessary time to know its dynamics and thus be able to make the most of the place.
Planning. Each place or each species has its peculiarities. It is very important to know the dynamics of that ecosystem or the behavior of the species to be photographed in order to intuit and anticipate scenes.
Do you have any recommendation on settings or gear for bird photography?
I usually work with the diaphragm more open than the lens allows me and in the AV (Canon) or A (Nikon) aperture priority mode.
To take photos of static birds, work in single-shot AF mode, the center AF point, an ISO of at least 400 (depending on light conditions) and the speed is determined by the camera.
For birds in flight, I keep the aperture priority AV (Canon) or A (Nikon), the servo AF mode, center AF point, I raise the ISO to at least 800 (depending on the light conditions) so I can increase the capture speed.
What plans do you have in the future related to Wildlife Photography?
My photography projects not only include my personal growth. I have the firm determination to carry out actions that can contribute to the development of nature photography in Argentina and help other photographers join this beautiful profession.
That is why, in addition to studying, traveling and taking photographs in every minute that I have available, I invest part of that time in working in the Argentine Association of Nature Photographers –AFONA-, a space created for photography lovers who also dream of a better world.
My immediate objective, in addition to contribute all that I can to the growth of the AFONA Association, is to tour my country intensely to discover, photograph and show in the best possible way the beauties of Argentina.
Tell us something about the gears you use.
For wildlife photography I am using a Canon EOS 1DX Mark II, with the lens 100-400 f / 4.55.6 L IS II, or 70-200 f / 2.8 L, depending on the size of the species to be photographed. Sometimes I use extender 1.4x II or 2x II. Both the lenses and the duplicators are Canon.
For wildlife photography with landscapes, macro, plants or studio photos, I work with the Nikon D750 with a 70-200 f / 2.8 lens, 14-24 f / 2.8 angular lens or 105 f / 2.8 macro lens ( all Nikon). When I work with the angle lens, I usually use degraded and / or neutral density filters, together or interleaved, as appropriate. To make studio photos I have flashes, diffusers, triggers and other accessories.
