Antonio Carlos de Freitas
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER
Software and Technology
Physicist, master in biology and Ph.D. in biophysics, associate professor at the Institute of Biology at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I have been working with environmental scientific photography for over 20 years. I studied scientific photography at universities in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian states. During this time, I produced more than 400,000 digital images related to biodiversity and I have already received national and international awards. I develop my activities at the Laboratory of Radioecology and Global Change (LARAMG), with photography as a scientific method. Over the years, with the help of collaborators, we have developed several projects that culminated in the creation of the “Nucleus for Environmental Scientific Photography – Bicenas” for biodiversity studies. I am currently the coordinator of scientific photography at the Association of Nature Photographers – AFNATURA and editor-in-chief of the online magazine “Environmental Scientific Photography”.
AM
A field day photographing.
Waking up early is essential, overhaul all the equipment. Check batteries, cards, equipment cleaning, among other things. Before I head out to shoot I study the region well so I know what kind of equipment to bring.
Water, discreet clothes, cereal bars, and a lot of disposition to spend an entire morning in the Field.
PM
After lunch, I download the photos, make a backup, review the equipment, and, depending on the location, assess whether it is pertinent to leave immediately. Otherwise, I take a break then head back out into the field.
Before dinner, I download the photos again. Generally, my day doesn’t end in the afternoon, I sometimes go out in the night to do macro photography or photograph stars. After all this, another quick review of all the equipment and then head off home to sleep.
- Know your equipment well and keep it clean, cameras and lens
- Get to know the place where you will photograph. Study the light, interesting points, the local culture, and peculiarities. Once in the field, this will help you to optimise your schedule
- Read a lot about photographic and see many photos taken by professionals. This helps to improve your technique. Ah! Whenever possible, use the tripe.
MY WORK
More Photography Features
Michelle VanTine
Charlie Bibby
Antonio Carlos de Freitas
