What does photography mean to you?
Photography means so much to me, that I recently wondered who I am when I am not a photographer. What is left out of me if not for photography. There is so much of photography in my life, that I have no idea what is life without it. And I don’t want to know. I have a degree in music, I was a musician, and it was a passion in my life. But photography is a fire. Photography is my entire life.
What inspires you and how do you mentally prepare yourself for next project?
I find inspiration everywhere. Of course, in other photographer’s, in their work, their lives, but also in music, in films, in theater, in every single art expression, in beauty, in nature, in animals.
I am not a kind of person who prepares meticulously. I am very meticulous on my photography, but not specially in projects. I like adventure in the literal sense of the word.
What defines a good photograph to you?
A good photograph can be one that shows a difficult moment to capture, an aesthetic image, a very rare species, one technically perfect, but for me on top of all is one that captures and shows emotions. One image where technique is not the most important thing, but it has a story that moves the viewer. The one that impacts with emotions.
How would you describe your style of photography?
My photography is about feelings, emotions.
With passing time and gained experience, have you ever wanted to go back and re-do a project? If yes, which one?
Yes, I do. Every place I’ve travelled I wish I could return. to start again, to spend more time to photograph animals in the environment I now know. The behavior I have learnt through the 20 years I have been photographing wildlife.
Which professional photographer have influenced your work the most?
I have to name three photographers that I’ve been amazed by. Steve Bloom, through his books, a world that was like a science fiction film. Some kind of unreachable professional world, that was even more attractive because I didn’t know anything about it.
Nick Brandt, a very intimate style, black and white, wild, simple and very emotional work; I felt in totally syntony with his work.
Gregory Colbert, I was totally in love with his website design; it was magic together with the images, the music, the voice; the whole experience was delightful.
What details do you believe make the best photographs? How do you go about focusing on them in your work?
There are some “little” details that can make a big difference. To know what we are looking for, the kind of moments we want to capture and be aware of it. It is also very important to be careful in the moment we select the images we show. We have to be very demanding, look for the exceptional ones, and if we don’t find any, try again, go back and photograph again. Every single thing in the image is important, and we have to know and be aware of all the elements we include in our frames.
As a wildlife photographer, how do you cope with the so called “the dark side” of the wild?
I’m not sure about what this dark side of the wild means. If it is about how nature and wildlife is being destroyed by us humans, and our needs and demands on water, land and energy. Our lack of empathy, our shameful behavior with the animals and with nature. How many more species have to be extinct, how many more lands destroyed, how much more the planet can survive with our embarrassing life style.
Why you selected wildlife photography over other genres of photography?
I have been thinking about this question before. And I think it is because I’ am shy and introverted, and with animals I feel very comfortable. I don’t have to talk, unless I want to. I just share my time; I feel a connection beyond the words. And then, animals are beautiful, wild, unpredictable, they live in the most magnificent, the most beautiful and untouched places.
What were the challenges that you most commonly faced and how did you deal with them?
The worst challenge is the lack of trust, the fear of uncertainty. To not trust in myself before, delaying my career, but with help I built confidence to make it.
Then also not having money enough, my daughter being too young, didn’t make it easier.
Have you ever faced a difference of opinion of your work? And how do you approach criticism?
Not really many times, mainly at the beginning of my career. I started photographing in a wildlife park near where I live in Cantabria, Spain, animals live in semi-freedom conditions and it was the perfect playground to learn about wildlife and photography. It was the time I couldn’t travel to Africa, and some people criticized me because of that, and I think they still do it. Then I felt hurt about it, but now I encourage people to feel free about things like this. I know many people who cannot afford to go to Africa or to other exotic destinations, and their dream is to photograph big mammals there. Nowadays I run wildlife workshops in this wildlife park, that is the largest in Europe.
Do you think post-production is as important as the actual shoot?
I think the shoot is very important, but post-production adds a very important value. In this I include the selection of images we are going to show, either online or for a exhibition, a book, etc. That moment we are selecting is critical because it determines all the result. We need to identify the images that has potential, that are “the ones”. Then to know how to process those pictures is vital, and also subjective and it is determined by our own aesthetic, in the same way as the way we photograph.
What do you believe makes your images successful?
Emotions. Emotions create a strong connection with the viewer because it is about us in the pictures, our feelings as humans, our feelings for them. Emotions together with a very well thought and cared aesthetic, together with the beauty of the wildlife and the beauty of nature. The two key words are emotions and connection. We delivered a message, and we decide the content.
Is there one animal you’ll happily photograph again and again?
I can be obsessive photographing, I can do it with Elephants, Lions, cheetahs, Gorillas, Giraffes, Zebras, Leopards, Baboons, Bears, Birds… there is always something new to photograph, a different light, a different moment, a different behavior, it’s infinite.
How did you get into wildlife photography?
I got into wildlife because of the wildlife park near to where I live, actually 20 minutes away from home, a second home for me. I went there at the beginning just to catch some good photographs, I usually went with friends, but there was a moment that something clicked in my head, and then I fell in love with the animals, and every other thing disappeared. I used to go almost every day, for years and I have enjoyed every single one.
Have you had any formal photography training and how did you get to where you are today?
I never had any formal photography training. I never planned to become a professional wildlife photographer. I had passion and I loved to photograph. I started on Facebook (I think this is 11-12 years ago) and I enjoyed it very much, uploading pictures, making comments and the page was growing and growing and I got many followers. I think it helps that many people pay attention to your work, and I was asked to publish on magazines, to do talks, trips… I reached 620,000 followers gaining more visibility for my work. Together with passion and love for wildlife, I came to become a European Canon Ambassador, to be in the final of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, to have covers on National Geographic…
Among the gears that you own, is there something that you wish you hadn’t bought?
I bought very expensive filters thinking to keep doing landscape photography, and I didn’t use them at all.
What is the most difficult animal you have had to photograph?
The Pangolin. I was commissioned to present the Canon 1DX Mark III (just before the pandemic started) we had very limited time to photograph the Pangolin in the Kalahari, and we were filming in the day and looking for the pangolins in the night. It has been one of the more intense five days of my life. The last night before we left, our tracker found the most beautiful nocturnal animal I have ever seen.
What advice can you give to new and enthusiastic wildlife photographers?
The first advice is to trust in themselves. After that, to work hard. Followed by perseverance because difficulties probably will arrive. Be patient, not to wait for the animals, but to keep trying because this is not an easy world, but it is not impossible. Follow your passion and always keep learning.
