The Argentine photographer who portrays the wonders of wild fauna

Guadalupe Laiz He was born on October 12, 1980 in Mar del Plata and grew up on the outskirts of the city, in Chapadmal. At age 20 he decided to study photography and undertook a tour that would take her to different parts of the world with her camera in tow. Today it is recognized by works in which animal beauty portrays in its natural environments.

One of them is your series Horses of Icelanda photographic trial that lasted five years, in which he focused on capturing the majesty of Icelandic horsesdiscovery that marked a turning point in his career.

“At first my idea was to work as a commercial photographer and bow towards fashion. I trained in Buenos Aires and, upon receiving me, I had to decide where to move, since to develop in that area it was necessary to be in a city like New York, Los Angeles or Paris, but none of these options convinced me. After working in a series of photographs of cityscapes In Europe and sell them through an art gallery in Paris, I made the decision to travel to Iceland for six days and there I met the Icelandic horses, it was love at first sight”, dice Guadalupe.

“When I saw them gallop through the highlands, through the vastness of nature, I understood the fragility of ecosystems and the urgent need to protect them. From that moment I focused on doing a job that culminated in my first book. From then on I never stopped photographing animals, became my life purpose “add.

After discovering his vocation, he wondered what it would be like to be in Africa and capture elephants in the best possible way, so he arrived at both of both Eli, Kenya: “There is a stage to take pictures with the clouds that are formed, it is a super vast and spacious place. Every day the elephants cross this area to reach the water. The most beautiful thing is to see how they inspect the camera, they smell and touch it, but they do not destroy it. In general, as soon as they see an object that does not belong to their environment, they remain alert, in a certain way, I think this is the most disturbing I have done in terms of my work. ”

One of the most difficult projects he made, due to climatic conditions, was his series about Polar bears in Canada, Initiative that arose because it was curious to meet them and approach them. “It was something very special and I love to return every time I have the opportunity.”

“I have the obsession with capturing wild animals closely; The closer, the more live I feel. They inspire me. In their natural habitat, they fall in love. I try to find on the outside what I want to get from me. I like to play a lot with the contrast, so the places like Iceland attract me, where you can work all day since there are a few days of sun. As long as there is no strong sun, it is only a matter of being in the right place to naturally illuminate the object, ”explains Guadalupe.

And he adds: “When I work with natural light, the only thing I can control is hours and location, everything else depends on the weather and place. All I do is adapt to the situation, since natural light is not controlled. ”

The Marplatense photographer, today based in Aspen, Colorado, is very clear about her motivations: “The idea, the message, is to re-give to see animals and the planet with respect, reverence and love. I want people not only to admire them, but they commit themselves to preserve them. I believe that one day we will see these times as a colossal error in terms of our behavior with the environment and animals. It is just a matter of paying attention, observing and learning with humility. “

With the idea of ​​following their commitment to protect species that are in danger of extinction, the photographer worked with organizations such as the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Foundation, which is dedicated to the protection of gorillas in Africa.

At present, it has a YouTube channel where Vlogs publishes its trips and experiences. In 2018, he opened a gallery in Aspen, Colorado, where collectors have the opportunity to acquire their works.