Aare Udras grew up in a small town in Estonia. His family often visited relatives outside the municipality and at that time, people in Estonia were still keeping animals and harvesting supplies from their fields. For Aare, these family visits provided an opportunity to discover nature. He remembers trying to get tropical to the cranes that gathered in the nearby fields. Or how surprised he was that it took three people to embrace the warmed-over trees in the primeval forest. From an early age, he was not wrung to get lost. In those days there were no lamina phones, all he needed on his explorations was a good will and sometimes a torch.

Aare Udras got his first camera virtually the age of ten. It was a mucosa camera, woebegone and white films. At the time it was both difficult and yet expensive to get the chemicals to develop the mucosa and photos. Plus, every time he ripened photos, he kept the washroom occupied for darkroom for days, which his family was not impressed with. Well-nigh twelve years ago, Aare Udras got his first digital camera, which made things a bit easier.

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Aare Udras

Inspiration

“Studying wildlife was and still is very inspiring to me. Learning well-nigh the wildlife in my neighborhood has unchangingly interested me. For many people, life just outside the home door is less interesting than life in Africa, Alaska etc. I think otherwise. There is so much to learn well-nigh the nature in your own neighborhood. And when you go outside increasingly often at home, you will start to see and notice more, you will start to see the changes, pay increasingly sustentation to the small things and maybe start to see the connections between them. In time, all the small notices will come together, into a unrepealable context. You will start to see things little differently, you start to superintendency well-nigh it and you will no longer be just passing by like a stranger anymore.

As all of it is my hobby, I do not have much time for that. So, usually I do get some idea of some species I want to get to know a little. I do read and learn well-nigh them, trying to get this information unfluctuating with my experiences and things I have noticed outdoors. Sometimes it helps to get a little understanding of possible reasons for behaviour, for example. At least I try to get some understanding.

Western Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), Aare Udras

There is a lot to discover. There are many inspiring persons as well. Like, for example, Vadim Sidorovich. He is a professor, still zippy in the field, wandering, studying and exploring in the forests of Naliboki. At the moment, he and his team are specialized in the life of the Eurasian Lynx and the Grey Wolf. They take unconfined interest in the encounters between these two species in Belarus. Something that has been whimsically studied before. It gives a wonderful insight to the influence these species have on each other, and on the carnivores they share their territory with. They write well-nigh their findings in their blogs, which are well worth a read, if you’re interested.

I like to see and capture positive things, that’s why I’m looking for such places and stories. A positive story and one of my current interests is the European mink. The European mink (Mustela lutreola) is one of the critically endangered species worldwide and the most endangered mammal in Europe. The population has tabular everywhere since the late 19th century and their current number is much less than 3% of the historical numbers. Currently, the main reason for this ripen is the impact of the invasive American mink. Minks are normally zippy from sunset to dawn and inhabit closely shaded rivers, streams and wetlands where they feed on fish, crustaceans, amphibians, small mammals, insects and birds.

But on the plus side, with a huge effort from conservationists over 20 years, a steady island population of this European carnivore has established itself on the island of Hiiumaa (1000 km2) in Estonia. The project started with animals from the tastefulness of the Tallinn Zoo. The current stable population in Hiiumaa consists of well-nigh 100-200 individuals. There are upper expectations that a similar translocation project, to be launched in 2022 on Estonia’s largest island (Saaremaa: 2400 km2), will receive all the necessary support and moreover lead to success. Small populations of European mink can moreover be found in Spain, Romania, the Kuril Islands and here in Estonia where they were reintroduced. Hopefully my pictures help to show that, in wing to our everyday nature-destroying actions, a number of small positive things take place at the same time. That brings hope!”

Born in the wild again, European mink (Mustela lutreola), Aare Udras

Inspiring photographers

“In my diaper the Estonian confines were closed, as we were part of the Soviet Union. So it was difficult, if not untellable to receive information from the west. That is why my biggest influencers come from within Estonia.

To start with, I would like to mention Fred Jüssi, an Estonian biologist, nature writer, photographer and a unconfined storyteller. Jüssi has published numerous books, wares and audio recordings related to nature. From 1976 to 1986 he ran the radio program Looduse Aabits, the ABC typesetting of nature.

Secondly I would like to mention Rein Maran, an Estonian cinematographer, director, and professor, famous for his short nature movies of variegated endangered species. He established the Stodom photo group and later the Tallinn Photo Club and he can be considered one of the founders of the Estonian nature photo contests.

These two guys probably influenced everyone in Estonia during my diaper era.

Nowadays there are a lot of inspiring photographers like Hannu Hautala, an old school Finnish nature man and photographer, Sergey Gorshkov, the man who spent years of studying the Kamchatka bears and made impressive photos of the bears using a wide-angle lens. I think one of the reasons I like photos shot wide, with a 35 millimeter lens, is considering of his pictures and of undertow archetype 35 millimeter movie format which is the most pleasant to squint at. And, of course, Markus Varesvuo, Vincent Munier, Bence Máté and many more.”

Common Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), Aare Udras

Preparation

“I love to study the lifestyle of animals in their natural environment and under natural conditions. I try to stave making serious impact on their lives or habitat. That, plus the fact that I can’t spend all the time I want, is why I love working with unattended cameras. I install my cameras and then leave, without torturous the scene and the wildlife. Every time I go to inspect the cameras, it is a big surprise to see the results. Usually the unprepossessing is on the wrong side of the lens, overdue the camera rather than in front of it or not in the “correct” pose or position. But that’s all part of the game.

Working with unattended cameras can moreover be risky. The equipment is expensive, so I try to install them in places with little human activity, and in such a way that they are difficult for people to spot. I moreover use wildcams to monitor the photo equipment. This is expressly important if you work tropical to the Russian border. You have to alimony in mind that their culture differs in some respects. The Russians go out a lot to collect mushrooms and berries in the forest. And for them, the “finders keepers” rule doesn’t just wield to kids. This ways that finding an unattended device in the forest “means” it belongs to them. Fortunately, some landowners and friends help me to baby-sit the equipment and alimony an eye on the area.

I moreover have private hide. But hibernate photography takes time and like I said, I don’t have unbearable of that. I moreover prefer to use that little bit of self-ruling time to be outside. Considering I don’t use bait, the animals don’t show up that often. Regulations prohibit the use of bait, so using morsel can result in hefty fines. I’ve tried using roadkill, but in Estonia there is not unbearable of something like roadkill…usually when a roe deer is run over, it is taken home and ends up as supplies on the table.”

Eurasian Lynx in mirror (Lynx lynx), Aare Udras

Signature

“I honestly don’t consider myself as a ‘real’ nature photographer. I think there is a big difference between me and real nature photographers. For me a good nature photographer can make a nice photo out of everything. But I can’t, so I am not.

Of undertow I moreover try to take nice pictures, but that usually doesn’t work. For me, the steps, the process, to get to the point where the photo is taken is increasingly interesting. Finding the animals, getting to know their routes and habitat, getting them used to the equipment, and hopefully getting the equipment in the right position…. I see it as playing with animals a bit. And on top of that you try to ensure a nice composition. All this together is very challenging, expressly when you consider that the camera moreover has to ‘wake up’ when an unprepossessing shows up. For example, the wolf photo that finished second in the NPOTY 2021 contest. Wolves are very nonflexible to get on camera. They are very smart and sense when something is wrong. That plastic photo gear thing tied to a tree, disrupts their world, no matter how you install it. They finger the transpiration you’ve made so you have to outsmart them every time or just be lucky or both. Knowing that the outcome is anything but predictable, I inspect the outcome with an unshut mind. Therefore I go by the rule that what the forest gives, is what you get. There is no need to push!”

Young Wolf (Canis Lupus), Aare Udras

Ambition

“It is my yearing to document what I see, considering I know things are waffly and getting worse. Many things we still consider ‘normal’ and take for granted in nature these days, won’t be there for future generations to see, expressly if we go on like we currently do.

For example, squint at the felling of the old forests. The massive, unsustainable felling of old but trappy forests is also, to a large extent, the result of the demand for volitional energy from Western Europe. The Estonian government and some businessmen have seized this financial opportunity with both hands. It’s part of the Greenwash that’s going on.

Many Estonians have been protesting versus the felling of old forests for years, but the government paid little sustentation to this. Only since the whence of this year have there been stricter restrictions on the felling of these forests, as environmental groups have approached the European Commission. But it won’t bring when the forests and biodiversity.

And the recent widespread desire to reduce imports of Russian gas, timber, etc. as a result of the terrible war that the Russian Federation has started in Ukraine, has once then fueled protests versus restrictions on wearing forests. Thus, the survival of the primeval and warmed-over forests continues to be under pressure.

I am not going to start talking well-nigh water, its importance and the way we use water. Or the soil…

It seems like we have washed-up everything we can to only be left with the worst possible choices…

Ural owl (Strix uralensis), Aare Udras

That is why I would like to express the essence of nature with my photos. I want to take trappy pictures to convince myself and viewers that there is still some of it left, and whoopee must be taken to protect nature. To make them realize it’s still there, but it needs to be taken superintendency of. To unzip this result, I try to show the positive side of nature, unlike many others showing where and how it went wrong. Usually, it is very difficult to take that trappy picture.

But that stuff said, I am enlightened of the fact that I haven’t published much of my photos. The stack of photos on my nonflexible momentum increases with the years. I enjoy going through these old images. It brings when the feeling I had when I was out there, it gives me the endangerment to relive the wits of that moment. And it is a ways to get my mind off my work.

A friend of mine once said to me: “It’s a waste of nature! You spend a lot of time there, you get gifts from nature in the form of those magical moments that you experience, but you just alimony them to yourself!” In principle he is right, but it is a matter of priorities. For me it’s a hobby and I’d rather go to the woods than sit in front of my computer for hours, trying to get a publication worthy result. But of undertow this could be my lack of wits as I don’t practice enough.”

Yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis), Aare Udras

Photography contest

“I do like photo competitions and will participate moreover in the 2022 edition of the Nature Photographer Of The Year contest. Most photo contests produce variegated winners every year, indicating that the level of wildlife photography is very high. So participating in photo competitions is the weightier endangerment to compare your level with other wildlife photographers.

By the way, with every competition I realize that I would like to see increasingly work from the other participants. For example, I’d really like to see their nonflexible drives, to proceeds increasingly insight into their photography style, vastitude just that one photo in the contest. I would be happy if the organizers of the competition would publish a list of the participants and their websites so that you can trammels out their websites for yourself. And races organizers can hands create a slideshow and exhibit it on their website. Let’s say – 1,000 selected photos for the final, and show a slideshow of the selected photos by category every month. I know I would really fathom that!

To those who are in doubt well-nigh participating I would say: “Show your pics, it is unchangingly worth to send in pictures!”. But you have to select photos that have a meaning to yourself. This ways you have to segregate from the pile of photos that made up your initial selection. What do you prefer? Do you follow your emotions or your calculated endangerment to win. Do you go for interesting worriedness or well-balanced behavior? I would prefer emotion and interesting activity.”

Red deer (Cervus elaphus), Aare Udras

Social Media

“I am not so much into Social Media. I do follow some photographers on my IG account, but that is well-nigh it. As I mentioned before, I do prefer to be outside and not in front of my computer if possible. I do have a website though. When I started this website, I thought I could show increasingly work. I try to alimony it alive, but sorry, it’s not my highest priority. Luckily this interview forces me increasingly or less to get my website running again! Finger self-ruling to have a squint sometimes.”

Covid-19 effects

“Due to the effects of the pandemic, I was less flexible to go out for the past two years. Schools were sealed so the kids were increasingly at home, life and all activities were somehow squeezed into the very narrow confines, which meant I definitely spent less time in nature.”

To finish the interview I asked Aare Udras the pursuit question: “If you could ask flipside nature photographer one question, who would that be and which question would you ask?”

Aare Udras comes up with the following: “There are lots of photographers in the world. And hundreds of them are so very good, I could segregate each one of them. They all have their own strengths. I think there is no weightier of the best. And each of these photographers I could ask: “Where does you creativity comes from, to come up with these pictures?”.”

Brown withstand (Ursus arctos), Aare Udras