Laura Núñez describes how she picks out painterly compositions of animals in their natural habitats
Laura Núñez is a Spanish wildlife photographer and conservationist who uses her photos and videos to raise awareness of endangered and lesser-known species. While this work now takes her around the world, her passion for photographing animals was discovered at an early age.
“As a child, on weekend trips with my family there were always those typical roll film cameras,” Laura recalls. “My parents used to bring them to make pictures of me – but as soon as they looked away, I would take them to photograph frogs and grasshoppers.
“The excitement of waiting to see how those photos turned out – and getting a permanent record that then allowed me to calmly study the details of each species… these things shaped my first experiences in nature,” she notes.
A learning process
As imaging technology changed, so too did Laura’s relationship with photography. “I went from being a child who created those first, pure and innocent photos, to – once the digital age arrived – discovering I could upload images to my computer where they could serve to document species for my biology degree projects,” she muses.
“When I finished my studies, I realised how much information was revealed by those files. I wanted to share those observations with friends and interested colleagues, to help people discover these animals and raise awareness about the need to protect them.
“That’s why I embarked on the path of nature conservation, trained as a wildlife guide and started sharing content on social media.”
Now, with many years of wildlife photography under her belt, Laura has come a long way from her first, archive-style images. That said, she believes there is always more to know.
“Always carrying a camera with me, there isn’t a single day I come home without learning something new,” she asserts. “Many times, that means coming back without the picture I was hoping for, but with new information instead.
“For example, knowing when a certain species arrives in an area, or learning the distance it needs from me before it flees. After many trials and errors, and not giving up after many failed attempts, sooner or later I do manage to get the photo.”
Over the years, Laura has also learnt a lot about creating with intention. “It’s essential to adapt information to the audience who sees it,” she points out. Competing for eyes on video-centric online platforms, Laura works towards creating photos that can grab people’s attention.
“I’m only working within a single image,” she notes. “Keeping in mind that the average human attention span for an online post is about five seconds, I try to craft the element of surprise from the very first second. That’s why I aim for photos that are unique and original – that take time to create.”
Adaptation
Creating wildlife photos that can grab people’s attention is much easier said than done. In fact, for many animals, getting any kind of photo of them at all is a significant challenge.
“Wildlife photography requires a process of adaptation,” Laura explains. “Animals detect you long before you even see them. Some leave their position instantly; others stay hidden while watching you, completely frozen and alert to your movements.
“Our body odours, our breathing, our very presence gives us away – which at first makes things a bit tricky,” she admits. “I believe that what makes wildlife photography unique is patience. By learning to observe how the environment moves and how your presence affects it, you can get many clues about how to act.
“When you manage to become just another part of the ecosystem, to stabilise your impact on the environment – and to feel comfortable in that state – it becomes easier to respond quickly to every stimulus that appears before you.”
Learning how different species react is a great starting point, although Laura notes that every individual animal has its own unique personality. “A female badger behaves very differently to a male. On top of that, every female in that social group has her own way of acting,” she explains. “The same goes for birds or lizards – based on their previous experiences, they’ll have varying degrees of fear or curiosity.
“Adapting to their preferences is part of the photography process and, at least for me, it’s the most entertaining and adrenaline-pumping part. Those moments when the animals decide to share with you are unique for those of us who love nature, and it doesn’t matter if they last only a short time, as, thanks to photography, we can relive them whenever we want.”
The best equipment for wildlife photography
“For the last three years, I’ve been working with Fujifilm equipment, using a set-up built around my FUJIFILM X-H2S – which, thanks to its features, is perfect for wildlife photography,” Laura asserts. The camera’s lightning-fast processor and stacked sensor enable an incredibly quick level of performance.
“Nature changes in the blink of an eye; it’s a continuous, repetitive cycle of random circumstances. In a field where everything transforms so quickly, it’s essential to have both speed and immediate autofocus accuracy, which allows me to never miss those decisive moments.
“Also, we all know Murphy’s Law,” Laura adds, referring to the adage that if something can go wrong, it will. “A memory card fills up and a battery dies just when you need them the most. But the X-H2S’s battery life offers good endurance for long outdoor sessions, even in sub-zero temperatures.
“Every May, I go on an expedition to the Svalbard archipelago, and here I think it’s crucial to highlight the ergonomics of this camera. With its robust and weather-resistant body, sealed against dust and moisture, it allows me to travel safely with it amid the Arctic Ocean waves and heavy snowfall,” she notes.
“When I first tried a Fujifilm camera, what impressed me most were the colours,” Laura recalls. “Thanks to Film Simulations and excellent image quality, the images almost feel tangible – and, compared to other brands, the colours are the most natural and true to life. Getting an image that requires little to no editing cuts down on post-processing time, something crucial for those of us active on social media who need to create content quickly but without losing quality.”
When it comes to choosing optics, the X Series line-up offers excellent utility at all focal lengths – and Laura highlights one favourite at each end of the scale.
“The lens that accompanies me most often, and whose dynamism and compositional versatility allow me to hide among the undergrowth and wait from afar until the animal feels comfortable with my presence, is the FUJINON XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR,” she explains.
“I could say that almost every lens I own has been chosen based on the species I’m aiming to photograph. For example, I also use a wide-angle FUJINON XF10-24mmF4 R OIS WR, which helps me photograph smaller animals such as insects, arachnids, amphibians and reptiles.
“These are animal groups that I call ‘the forgotten ones’, because nobody usually pays attention to them. But this type of photography can help reveal them, lifting the veil that surrounds them and showing the world how essential it is to protect them and the environment we share.”
Parting advice
For those looking to take inspiration from her work and forge their own path into wildlife photography, Laura advises not to look for shortcuts – as the longer route is often the most fulfilling.
“I’d tell people not to force themselves to be photographers just because they want to become one – in other words, not to seek the end but to enjoy the beginning,” she offers. “It’s a continuous path of daring and trial and error, so frustration is not an option.
“Many times, results will come out that don’t meet our expectations, but without that part, the process won’t get completed.”
For parting advice, she offers her own assessment of what makes a truly great wildlife photo. “For me, it’s a photograph that pays attention to detail,” she muses. “Wildlife is unpredictable, and that’s why keeping every part of the environment in its place tends to be a challenging task.
“However, when we manage to get the right settings, with light and shadows well positioned and a composition that almost reminds us of a painting, that’s when we know we’ve made the most of the resources nature offers us and created a work of art.”
