Angel Fitor - Feeling at home
The photography of the natural world is a living being, and as such it has been evolving together with us. It has transcended the plain field of documenting nature by stepping into individual expression, artistic creation, or visual storytelling. Even though I do really enjoy much the experience of going out of my comfort zone by exploring all those fields, I must admit I feel at home when I photograph classic natural history. Personally I found it the most complete and fulfilling photographic experience in nature since all my heart, mind, and soul are equally fed and enriched. Beyond endemic photographer´s selfishness, and as a victim of my mentors, I strongly believe in the power of fascination that these kind of simple stories still excercise over the audience towards effective nature conservation. Thus, even at a small scale, I feel my social liability is covered as well.
Image shows a spawning couple of clingfish Lepadogaster candollei, a truly challenging subject since they spend their lives deep inside narrow crevices, or underneath stones. In 1995, this was presumably the first ever published photograph on the spawning behaviour of this little gem in the wild. The picture is shown upside down from its natural shooting orientation, since the fishes were attached to the roof of the cave formed by a piece of an ancient roman amphorae. Freshly laid amber eggs can be seen behind lovers´tails. A laborious but rewarding work which took about a month of (really) intensive surveillance of several nesting males on a small shallow cove in the spanish Mediterranean.
Much beyond the evident, stories of nature, love, passion, challenge, and even history mix behind this photograph, fueling my determination.
Location: Mediterranean sea, Spain
Tags: Angel Fitor, behaviour, clingfish, spawning, underwater
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