Long-form articles focused on creativity and the artistic side of photography.
Series Apariciones, which means “Appearances”
Maybe showing only the surface is a defense mechanism,
or perhaps an energy-saving resource, I don’t know.
Just like the sea, there are also people
you need to dive into a little, show them genuine interest,
and then … only then, like the sea, do the appearances begin.
The fears, the enigmas, the mysteries … but also the magic! ✨
As you read the following lines below, you might be located in the southern hemisphere and it might be summer for you. Or maybe, just like me, you are in the northern hemisphere … here in Canada, my favorite season is just about to begin. Winter! Yes, I am in love with winter. To me, winter is the time of the year when my inspiration peaks. You might be asking yourself: How can someone in his right mind be in love with winter?
Starting from Buenos Aires, we headed to the Atlantic coast, visiting some of the simplest and most boring places for landscape photography: endless beaches with nothing but sand and water.
Oddly enough, this was exactly the kind of place I needed to reconnect with my camera, which I hadn’t used in months. There was still a bittersweet feeling from having left everything behind, and it seemed like my camera was the reason for it.
My path into nature photography came about quite naturally for me because even as a child, I was fascinated by animals and their different habitats, the interaction of different species within an ecosystem, and the peculiarities and characteristics of certain animal species. Photography is a wonderful way for me to present my own individual view of nature and to immortalize in a photo what inspires me about an animal or a particular situation. I enjoy bringing people closer to something that they might otherwise miss or not even get to know or see. An idea for a picture often comes about through a chance encounter and is often only very brief. And when I reflect on it, I often have the desire to create a picture of it.
I’ve spent most of my life caught up in the hustle and bustle of city life. The forest is my go-to escape when I need a break from the daily grind. I love being alone in nature, soaking in its
One of the most complex challenges is getting the subjects that I want to portray in that landscape to be in that dark sector where the flash will illuminate. When they are insects or small animals (amphibians or reptiles), it is not difficult since I can create the frame, leaving the subject in that darkness. But with more active mammals or birds, the challenge is more complex and I often use barriers for those cases.
One freezing winter afternoon, I took advantage of my time to look again at the book Genesis by Sebastiao Salgado. I stopped at his photographs of the black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) and was mentally stuck there for months. Without realizing it, that afternoon my trip to the Falkland Islands had begun. After a year and a half, I was able to be there, among these wonderful birds that I admire so much.
With its beautiful colors, intricate patterns, and graceful flamingos, Lake Magadi has been a highlight of my 30-year journey as a nature photographer. It felt like a final exam of sorts: a technical challenge requiring abstract compositions and quick captures of giant flocks of birds within a limited time. But it was so much more than that.
In this article, I’d like to dive into what composite photography is, since we are seeing it more often, with very few photographers being transparent or honest about using compositing techniques in their work. There is nothing wrong with composites. I truly believe it is not less work or effort, nor easier than “traditional” photography. What is wrong is lying or denying you’re doing it.
The photos I was capturing were certainly different, but I have learned over the years that different just to be different doesn’t mean a photo is good. I was sharing some of the photos that I was happy with, though I knew I wasn’t quite there yet. The entire process of learning and using this lens was such a great reminder to give things time and patience, not give up, and continue to push to learn how to use the gear for great photography.
This article is a sample of the quality content you will find in Nature Vision Magazine.
