Spanish photographer Marina Cano is known for her stunning photos of nature and and its wildlife. Although she lives in Cantabria in northern Spain, the photographer frequently travels to faraway locations such as South Africa and Kenya to capture spectacular shots of exotic beasts. What sets Cano's photos apart is her unique ability to document the intimacy and beauty of the majestic creatures, giving the viewer a rare glimpse of untamed giraffes, elephants, zebras, and other animals in their daily lives.
Cano recently shared an account of a typical day in her life on 500px ISO. It's no surprise to learn that her breathtaking images aren't just the product of luck or fortunate timing, but of real devotion and tireless work from dawn till dusk. Waking up at 5AM, Cano prepares to spend the day scouring the Amboseli National Park in Kenya for fantastic sights. Even when the light turns harsh around noon, she continues to look for animals to photograph, saying, “Time is so precious when you are traveling. . . There are always good opportunities for taking great pictures.”
After over 12 hours of driving around the park, patiently looking for her subjects, the sun starts to set. In the fiery glow that marks the coming of night, Cano manages to capture some gorgeous images of wildlife, but she modestly reflects, “I always say that if my photographs are beautiful, it's because my subject–Nature–is awesome.” She retreats to bed by 10PM, hoping to get a good night's sleep before waking up early to spend another day with her camera and the animals on the great African plains.