One of the things that most transformed the way I photograph wildlife was learning to lower my camera. Getting down to the ground not only changed the aesthetics of my photos, but also the way in which I connect with what I am photographing. Considering that most of my photographs take place in places like seashores or lagoons, for me this photographic technique is fundamental.

Why?

When you decide to photograph from below, you stop looking down from your height and start seeing the world from the animal's height.

The photos feel much closer, more intimate. The background goes out of focus in a beautiful way, the foregrounds start to have texture, depth, and you have an image that conveys much more than just a record.

Moreover, at ground level, the animal no longer looks small or ‘from above’. It becomes the protagonist. The scene gains strength.

What do I take into account when I shoot?

When I'm in that low position, I try to pay attention to several things:

- Focus on the eyes: the depth of field is so thin that if I don't stick the focus there, the photo loses strength.

- Play with the background and foreground: often there is grass, flowers, pebbles... all that adds to the photo if I include it in a creative way.

- If there is good bokeh, the better: I usually use apertures like (f/5.6, f/6.3), but if the animal is moving a lot, I close down a bit so as not to lose sharpness (f/8, f/9).

- And above all, I don't rush: most of my best shots at ground level have come after I've been still for a long time, waiting for the animal to approach on its own.

Respect

I never get into the animal's space. I prefer to wait. If I see that the animal is uncomfortable, I move. The goal is not just the photo, but the experience. I want the animal to go on with its life as if I wasn't there. And if you get a photo like that, without having intervened at all... the satisfaction is different.