Ilona FenyőNature photographer
First light, still waterPhoto: Simona D'Auria
Landscapes, animals and the small things between them, photographed slowly in the forests and wetlands of Central Europe.
Selected work
Seven photographs from the last few seasons, in the order I would hang them.
The valley breathesPhoto: pine watt Stag at duskPhoto: Diana Parkhouse Beech leaves, hoarfrostPhoto: feinschliff Jetty in fogPhoto: Nastia Petruk Heron with its catchPhoto: Zoltan Tasi Morning on the lakePhoto: Almina Koçal One red leafPhoto: Aaron Burden
Collections
Landscapes
Fog, water and ridgelines. Most were made in the hour before sunrise, when the air is still enough for mist to settle in the valleys.
View 10 landscapes
Wildlife
Deer, foxes, herons and owls, photographed from hides and at a distance that doesn’t change what the animal is doing.
View 7 wildlife photographs
Details
Frost, moss and lichen at the scale of a hand. The pictures I make when the light is too flat for anything wider.
View 7 details
Gallery
Every photograph on the site. Filter by collection, or open any image to see it large.
Showing all 24 photographs
About Ilona
I trained as a forest engineer and spent six years surveying old beech and oak stands for a conservation programme. The camera started as a field notebook: a way to record where the deadwood lay, which slopes held frost longest, where the deer crossed.
Somewhere along the way the notebook became the work. I still return to the same places throughout the year. A reedbed seen in four seasons tells you more than four reedbeds seen once.
I print my own photographs on cotton paper, in small editions. I would rather sell twenty-five good prints than a thousand files.
How I work
- Hides and patience
- Animals are photographed from hides or on foot at a respectful distance. No baiting, no playback calls, no disturbance at nests or dens.
- Seasons
- Most projects run for at least a year, so every place is seen in every season.
- Editing
- Colour and contrast are adjusted. Nothing is added to the frame and nothing is taken out.
Prints, licensing and commissions
Tell me what you have in mind. I reply to every message within three working days.
Prints
Archival pigment prints on 310 g cotton rag paper, signed and numbered in editions of 25.
- 40 × 60, 60 × 90 or 90 × 135 cm
- Oiled oak frames on request
- Delivered within the EU in about three weeks
Licensing
For editorial, book and conservation use. Fees depend on the use, territory and duration.
- High-resolution files with full metadata
- Reduced fees for non-profit conservation work
Commissions
Long-term photography for national parks, publishers and land trusts.
- Projects from one season to several years
- Field days in any weather