How did your interest in nature and wildlife arise?
Since I was a child, we used to go out on weekends with my parents to nearby places in our city. We walked through the woods, played in the fields, on the beach. My father was a civilian pilot and many rainy afternoons, he would gather us in the living room of the house to project his slides. He took photos from the air and showed us images of the mountain ranges, craters, impenetrable forests, or hidden lagoons.
How do you describe your journey as a photographer and a person?
At first, I had an analog camera that I managed automatically and photographed everything, to perpetuate moments, document floral species, or follow the growth of my children. But about 10 years ago something happened, what the camera did was no longer enough for me, it did not reflect what it wanted to convey. I felt that I should study to manage the captures. Little by little I internalized the knowledge and I tried to control the world of light. I discovered that photographing nature, which was what I liked, was very different from what was taught in photography schools. There was no management of the stage, and less of the models. I had to discover the language of mother earth and have a lot of patience. I had to investigate the place, what I was looking for, the times of appearance and development of the species, the climate, etc.
And without realizing I started teaching photography. People liked what I did and wanted me to teach them. Since I am also a teacher by profession, it was easy, and I really like it.
What is your view on Nature Conservation? How can we, as wildlife photographers, help to protect our Mother Nature?
These two years of pandemic and confinement have allowed me to think, and I decided to start working as a guide of flora and fungi photography workshops.
I have always transmitted in my students the need not to leave footprints, be careful where they step, not cut flowers, or not take out seeds. But I can’t forget an occasion when after the photo session with a group of 16 people, I saw the trampled ground and many damaged mushrooms. As a result of that, I have considered the need to go out with very small groups.
My responsibility is great, since I am not only a photographer, but I also take people to nature and that is where I can best show respect and care for it. I do not think that the solution is to avoid taking people to the field, we must continue to make nature known, but influencing its care. I believe that nature photographers who work guiding groups have to be responsible for the damage we can cause to species and their habitat.
Can you give our readers the best nature photography tips? Do you have any recommendation on settings or gear for wildlife photography?
Research what you would like to photograph. For example, reading about insects, flowers, or fungi, which ones live nearby or where to travel to get to portray the species you are looking for. What are the habits or special care you should have. It is very important to know the times of nature, the places to search and when to do it.
Look at the work of other photographers, visit exhibitions, learn from what others do. Look for inspiration. Nourish and open your mind to creativity.
If you live in a country like Chile, with its cold and rainy autumns, and you choose fungi photography, you can spend many hours lying down in the damp earth. Being comfortable, not being cold, is very important. If you are cold or wet your photos will be negatively influenced. I recommend a waterproof suit, pants, and jacket as well as shoes with suitable socks, and a thermos with tea or hot water.
What plans do you have in the future related to nature photography?
In the immediate future, traveling to portray the great flowery desert of Atacama, I will look for images that highlight the species, their beauty and ability to adapt. They patiently wait for the rains to germinate, which does not always happen. The last flowering desert was in 2017, and this year everything indicates that it will happen again.
In March 2023 I will once again guide a photographic expedition of the fungi world, to Tierra del Fuego, where autumn begins earlier. We will see special mushrooms and unique landscapes of southern Chile.
As general objectives related to photography, I am interested in promoting the approach to nature of women and older people. I hear my friends and acquaintances admire what I do. Something like “I love what you do, I love to see the photos of your adventures, but I can’t”. I see so many adults who do not dare to go out, who think that life is already ending for them. What I hope is to continue motivating these adults, and especially women, to dare. To take a camera, walk through the forest, feel it, and photograph it. Nature can heal us. And photography is a means to understand it.
Tell us something about the gears you use?
I use macro lenses, preferably with a 100mm focal length, but when I want more details, I use ultra-macro 1:2 or 1:5. Sometimes I have the opportunity to include the environment, a wide angle macro lens allows me to capture the habitat of the species, as well as its details.
