Fernando Faciole is a conservation photographer and biologist from São Paulo, Brazil. His work has been published in BBC Wildlife magazine and National Geographic, and he has won awards including the Environmental Photography Award and Wildscreen Festival.
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How did your career start?
I spent much of my childhood with my family in a trailer in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, where my love for nature began. Later, I went fishing with my dad, which made me even more curious about wildlife. I started photographing wildlife at 15. In 2021, I shifted to conservation photography.
Which of your images is most important to you, and why?
Last year I took a photo of a lowland tapir with all four paws burned due to the Pantanal wildfires. It went through a long rehabilitation process before being reintroduced into the wild. The image brought great attention to this ecosystem.
What’s been your most memorable experience with wildlife?
In 2023, I was in the Pantanal, working with the Giant Armadillo Project. We found a burrow with the entrance sealed with sand, which meant there was an armadillo inside. The team set up a trap to capture the animal and fit a GPS tag.
When the trap bell rang, we ran to check it. Inside was a female but then we saw something else. A small pup was still in the burrow, looking at us. It is one of the most special moments I have ever experienced in the wild.
Have you had any particularly hairy experiences or close calls?
My friend and guide Cimar and I went on a night-hike recently in the Atlantic Forest. We heard movement in the bushes and saw two large eyes. The smell of jaguar got stronger. Cimar was sure a jaguar was following us. The animal was just curious but it was a wild experience.
Any epic fails?
I had an encounter with a giant anteater in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, in 2016. It walked right in front of me. Years later, I learned these animals had been considered locally extinct for decades. I did not have a camera with me, so nobody there believed me. I still think about that animal.
Which species would you like to shoot?
In Brazil, the jaguarundi, probably the most elusive wild cat in the country. I have only seen it once and did not have the chance to take a photo. Outside Brazil, a dream of mine has always been to visit Antarctica and photograph the leopard seal.
What has been the most challenging shoot you’ve ever done?
While working on a story about flamingos in the Dominican Republic, I visited resorts illegally keeping them with clipped feathers. I tried to go undercover, and it was tough.
I even had a few piña coladas between shots to blend in and pretend I was just another tourist. But later I had to ask for image releases to use the photos so, in the end, the whole James Bond act wasn’t really worth it.
What’s the worst discomfort you’ve had to endure in the name of photography?
During the dry season in the Pantanal, I saw a tayra digging in the mud. I crawled across rough ground for more than half an hour, sinking a bit into the mud and scratching my belly as I went. In the end, I was able to photograph one of my favourite animals.
What has been your favourite species to turn your focus on?
Over the past few years I have been into Xenarthrans, a superorder of mammals that includes anteaters, armadillos and sloths. I feel I have long been connected to them.
Which one piece of kit would you not be without, photographic or otherwise?
Since most of my work leans toward photojournalism, a versatile lens such as a 24–70mm is essential. Most of the time I shoot 35mm but I like that extra range.
Any tips for budding photographers?
If you intend to create meaningful stories and truly understand a species, the key is to collaborate with scientists and local communities. Also, focusing on stories close to you allows both the images and the narrative to improve over time.
About the photographer
Fernando is a nature and conservation photographer. See fernandofaciole.com.
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