0031 345 246009 [email protected]

Name: Alejandro Prieto
Project title: Border wall project
Category: Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award
Nationality:
 Mexico
Occupation: Full-time photographer 

Technical information
Used camera’s: Nikon D850 and Nikon D3300
Used lenses: Nikon 10-20mm, Nikon 24-70 mm and Nikon 70-200mm 
AccessoriesI used camera trap equipment to get most of the photos of the project. This includes nikon sb28 flashes, trail master sensors, camtraption radios and home made protection system
Other info: It was very difficult to take the photographs of this project for the following reasons, insecurity was the most important one, this area is territory of drug cartels and I had some difficult encounters with them, it is visited by many people (migrants), and finding safe places for setting the camera traps was difficult, I faced US border patrol harassment and camera robbery as well, extreme hot weather was another big challenge.

WINNER CATEGORY FRED HAZELHOFF PORTFOLIO AWARD
Alejandro Prieto | Border wall project

Name: Alejandro Prieto
Project title: Border wall project
Category: Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award
Nationality:
 Mexico
Occupation: Full-time photographer 

Technical information
Used camera’s: Nikon D850 and Nikon D3300
Used lenses: Nikon 10-20mm, Nikon 24-70 mm and Nikon 70-200mm
Accessories: I used camera trap equipment to get most of the photos of the project. This includes nikon sb28 flashes, trail master sensors, camtraption radios and home made protection system
Other info: It was very difficult to take the photographs of this project for the following reasons, insecurity was the most important one, this area is territory of drug cartels and I had some difficult encounters with them, it is visited by many people (migrants), and finding safe places for setting the camera traps was difficult, I faced US border patrol harassment and camera robbery as well, extreme hot weather was another big challenge.

Alejandro says:

The nearly two thousand miles long US-Mexico border traverses some of the continent’s most biologically diverse regions. This fragile ecosystem is home to a diverse population of mammals, reptiles, birds and plants. Many species migrate between the biomes in the south and north of the continent. They will be especially affected if the US government implements its plans to erect a wall at the border with Mexico. This border infrastructure would not only restrict the local movements of wild animals but also fragment their habitats and interrupt the traditional migration routes they have always used.

An image of a wild jaguar is symbolically projected on to a section of the US-Mexico border wall. Jaguars have disappeared from the US in the last century, mostly due to habitat loss and control programs intended to protect livestock. The construction of a wall will mean the extinction of this species in the US since there are only a few individuals left.

This photo from a camera trap shows a bobcat that has just crossed the fence dividing the federal states of Sonora (Mexico) and Arizona (USA). Apex predators like wildcats are among the first species to disappear when humans tear natural landscapes apart, which leads to impoverished ecosystems with impacts on animals and people alike.

A camera trap captures two wild turkeys as they cross the fence that separates Arizona (USA) from Sonora (Mexico). These fences are permeable for wildlife, but the US government plans to build a solid wall there, which will affect not only the movements of mammals but also that of some bird species such as pygmy owls and wild turkeys

This photograph was taken at Tijuana, Mexico. There are already more than 650 miles of separational infrastructure along the border between Mexico and the US. These walls and fences cut through fragile ecosystems, separating areas populated by more than 1500 plants and animal species, 93 of them listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable.

The border region is home to several species whose survival depends on an unfragmented ecosystem stretching from the US to Mexico. Thus far, an extended network of national parks, archaeological monuments, as well as wilderness and nature reserves protects important wildlife habitat and cultural resources on both sides of the border. This photo shows a wild hare next to the border wall near San Pedro River in Sonora, Mexico.

A young mountain lion was captured by a camera trap crossing from USA to Mexico in San Bernardino Mexico.

The wall proposed by US president Donald Trump at the US border with Mexico cuts through one of the most diverse and biologically rich regions of North America. Der US Fish and Wildlife Service has warned that this impermeable barrier, associated human activities and bright light at night will negatively affect many endangered species. Here, a roadrunner approaches the border wall at Naco (Arizona)

Coyotes photos. First, a dead coyote lies besides the border wall near Nogales, Arizona. Second, a coyote looks through the bars of the wall at Coronado National Park in Arizona USA.

Wall construction. The beginning of construction of the border wall at Organ Pipe National Monument a natural protected area in Arizona, USA.

About Alejandro:

About Alejandro:

Mexico

Alejandro was born in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco (Mexico) in 1976. Since his childhood he has felt a close bond with nature, spurred by the strong influence of his father and his brothers. An early encounter with a circus elephant who playfully sucked his arm triggered a deep love for animals, which eventually led him to become a veterinarian and zoologist. For many years he worked in this field until he finally decided to change his life’s course. 

Alejandro’s photographic journey began in 2007 when he discovered how he could merge his love for all animals with his interest in natural beauty. In the past five years, Alejandro has dedicated his life completely to photography, focussing on a photojournalistic approach to diverse wildlife topics. Currently he works alongside Alianza Jaguar AC, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of jaguars in western Mexico.

Website: www.alejandroprietophotography.com

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