The lake

Sometimes the best wildlife photography happens when you stop thinking like a ground-based photographer. After months of traditional wetland shooting—hiding in blinds, crawling through reeds, fighting mosquitoes—I realized I was only seeing half the story.

The decision to take my drone up changed everything. What I discovered was a secret world of spatial relationships and behavioral patterns invisible from human perspective.

This aerial perspective reveals the wetland's hidden architecture. The green algae blooms indicate nutrient-rich water—perfect habitat for the small fish, frogs, and aquatic insects.

Romanian wetlands face increasing pressure from agriculture and development. Images like this document not just individual wildlife, but ecosystem function—proof of what we stand to lose if these habitats aren't protected.

These are the moments that remind me why I became a wildlife photographer: to reveal the hidden intelligence in natural systems, to show that what appears random is actually perfectly ordered.