Your love for nature and wildlife, what triggered it and when?
Ever since I can remember I have loved nature and animals. I was fortunate to grow up on the countryside in northern Germany, surrounded by meadows and forests. Back then, internet and game consoles didn’t exist, and I spent my days on outdoor adventures. But it was only much later, when digital cameras became widely available, that I started documenting wildlife. It was in 2014, for a trip to the Masai Mara, when I got my first professional DSLR.
The reason behind choosing wide angle and trap camera photography?
Camera traps are a great tool to get close to wildlife. They allow me to photograph elusive and rare animals over weeks or even months at a time. What fascinates me is the wide angle, closeup perspective which lets you step into the private world of often dangerous animals. Achieving such intimate images would otherwise not be possible.
Your thoughts on how trap camera photography contributes in conservation.
Trailcams in the classic sense have revolutionized wildlife research and conservation, enabling scientists to collect photographic evidence of rarely seen and often endangered species with minimal disturbance. However, trailcam images are of poor quality. The DSLR camera trap systems that I use are more flexible and more sophisticated in terms of picture quality. Hence my work is focused on the beauty and personality side of the wildlife instead of
the scientific. Ultimately I strive to create memorable images which inspire others to care.
Your most favorite image and the story behind it?
My favorite image so far is probably the snow leopard.
The mystery surrounding the snow leopard always fascinated me. They are some of the most difficult large cats to photograph in the wild. Not only because of their incredible stealth, but also because of the remote environments they live in. So, I decided to give it a try and found myself in the Ladakh region of Kashmir. Here, above 4000 meters in the rugged winter terrain, at night the temperatures dipped to -25°C below zero.
When the snowstorms picked up, I had little hope that the traps would survive for more than a day. So, when I first retrieved the equipment, I was already happy just to see that the flashes were still going. Next, I browsed through the photos. At first, I just saw pictures of the weather. Then a little Pika appeared. A curious Snow Marten followed. And then something large came, entering the frame from the side. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was a snow leopard. And not just one, but two individuals. I will never forget this moment. It was New Year’s Day, and I jumped for joy.
Can you talk about the different types of gear needed for trap photography and your favorites among them?
The main components I use are Canon DSLR cameras with wide-angle lenses, automatic sensors from Camtraptions and one or several Nikon flash units, depending on the circumstances. I have developed my own set of housings and mounts for different climates and terrains, or let’s say, different types of animals. My favorite type of gear is not a specific product or brand but anything that can connect wirelessly to reduce complexity.
For trap camera photography you need to do a lot of groundwork on animal corridors and many such aspects. Can you please share your strategies?
Good preparation is the most important factor. I spend a lot of time researching and reading about my subjects because I want to learn as much as possible about their behavior and their environment. On location I work with local people as much as possible. They know the area, the trails, the sounds and smells.
According to you what are the biggest challenges in this genre of photography?
When it comes to camera trap photography the biggest challenge is the positioning and the fact that you don’t know when the animal will pass. Therefore, the camera and flashes need to be programmed so that the scene is well exposed in any lighting condition. Both can be very tricky. Keeping your equipment powered over a long time, especially the flashes, is another challenge. And then of course you must keep your gear safe from changing weather, overly inquisitive wildlife, and common theft.
What are the safety measures to observe in trap camera photography?
The good thing about camera traps is that they are stationary. So, you leave them out in the wild – day and night, close to potentially dangerous animals without having to be present yourself. Often, however, you have to access remote areas and harsh terrain by foot to install and maintain the equipment. I seldomly go alone.
Other than trap camera photography which other type of photography excites you?
I love to experiment with all kinds of new stuff. I use GoPros for filming and sometimes for remote photography and I wish I could use my drone in more places.
How often do you do conventional photography trips and the main gear you use in such trips?
I travel whenever I can, and Dubai is the ideal hub right in the center of the world map. Most of the time I use a Canon 1DX-II and a variety of prime lenses depending on what I am aiming to photograph. I usually have a Canon 5D IV as the backup camera in my bag.
What are your thoughts on raw images vs edited images, and the ethics/ limit you set for photo editing? What software do you use for post-production?
The big question is always where does nature photography end and where does art start? Personally, the only software I use is Lightroom and I use it mostly for basic adjustments, such as resizing, contrast, highlights, shadows. In general, I’m trying to spend less time with post processing and to get the image right incamera.
How do you sort your images after each trip and choose the best images from a series? And how do you store the images?
Lightroom offers an easy and efficient way to sort images by rating them. I use a folder structure by date and place. For backup I use a mix of external drives and cloud.
Your choice of accessories like memory cards, flash, hard disks, laptops, camera bags & tripod.
For accessories the brand normally plays a secondary role, as long as a tool fits the requirements. However, I have a good experience with tripods from Really Right Stuff and Gitzo. Mindshift and f-stop produce some amazing bags.
Which is your most favorite location and why?
The proximity to India from Dubai has given me the privilege to focus on Indian wildlife. Despite its high human population, India still is a sanctuary for a vast array of unique and fascinating wildlife, such as the Bengal tiger. That said, I’m also a big fan of sub-Saharan Africa. But unlike India it’s not a place I can travel on a weekend to manage my projects.
What projects are you working on now?
I have currently two long term projects running, including one at the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. There I discovered an incredibly rich diversity of wildlife including Leopards, Hyenas and Sloth Bears. Check out my Instagram page @saschafonseca
What would be your advice to the young and upcoming photographers?
To anyone who is getting started in this field I would say ‘Do your own mistakes, learn from them and never give up’. Camera trapping can be extremely frustrating, but also extremely rewarding.
