Photographer Spotlight: Isaias Miciu Nicolaevici

September 10, 2018

Who is Isais Miciu?

Isaias Miciu Nicolaevici was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and then spent his early years the mountains near Cordoba, Argentina, until his family moved to San Martin de los Andes. There, in Argentina’s northern Patagonia region, he discovered the passion for fly fishing, the outdoors, and photography that he so vividly expresses in “The Way it Used to Be” (p. XX). Nicolaevici’s photographic skills have taken him to exotic destinations in Brazil, Russia, Africa and the United States; and earned him assignments with brands like Beretta, Eddie Bauer and Jeep, as well as many outfitters around the world.

How long have you been shooting photos for?

I have been working as a photographer since 2006 so 12 years now… 10 years specialized in fly fishing and outdoors.

Where do you call home? Do you think this place influences your style of photography?

I was not born in Patagonia but I call home San Martin de los Andes. Which is in northern Patagonia on the Andes mountain range in Argentina (pictured above). I’ve lived here since I was 8 and of course, it influences my photography style. Not only has it influenced me but also given me a direction with my career as a photographer.

When did you first pick up a fly rod? Do you remember the first fish you caught?

I was 12 years old when I first tried flyfishing, and I remember my first trout on a fly perfectly…. Hard to explain how excited I was cause I felt like I had really bad luck catching fish before that!!!

How does shooting fly fishing content differ from shooting other events? Is there anything else you really love to shoot?

I guess shooting fly fishing it is different because I feel something for FF which I don’t for any anything else, so then the expression becomes easier for me…. But, I do love anything outdoors, especially anything that happens to be with gauchos, horses, anything that merges well with the wild landscapes and keeps a classic aesthetic! At the end of the day, I just realize that the light is always what moves my “eye-feelings”.

What are some of the greatest challenges you face as a freelance photographer? Can you highlight one of your greatest accomplishments as a photographer?

My greatest accomplishment is to have well survived these days and formed a family. Living only as a freelancer photographer without moving much from home, which I love… My goal in the future is to merge artistic photography with fishing photography. Enough so my customers can come down to Patagonia to get their fishing-portraits done and be known as a sort of personalized fine art photographer.

Do you have a favorite photo you have taken?

It is hard to pick! Not because I have done too many good ones, but because it somehow meets a limit, otherwise I always can keep improving my “best” shot. But if I have to pick maybe the one, it is above.

Tell us what your ideal run and gun camera setup looks like.

I like there to be “light” out there in the field… so depends what I’m going to shoot. I do customize my gear set-up. I usually take 2 setups with me, one with a long sense (can be 70-200mm, or fix 300mm) and the other camera I’d attach either a Tilt’nShift 24mm or 14-24mm with a few gadgets in my pocket.

What is some advice you can give to an aspiring outdoor photographer?

First find what really “moves your feelings” on photography subjects, something that you feel part of it, whatever is: first go and do that in the first person. Find your goals, be consistent and work hard on it. Don’t choose only what is better paid, cause over the time you will hate your own routine.

Tell us about Patagonia. What makes that such a special place to document.

Patagonia is still one of the very few places in the world that is simple, authentic, raw and not too populated. Where still you can see the wilderness without too much of the human been changes… I just published a photo essay in the Outlaw magazine which is called “the way it used to be” written by Eric Ladd. It speaks about Patagonia from a non-citizen eye…

Would you rather catch a trophy fish, or shoot a photo of a trophy fish?

I’ve always dream to be outside with a fishing rod and my camera, doing both at the same time… it took my years to learn I was WRONG! At least in my case I’ve found that if I really want to put all my attention into one, then I need to leave one of them at home. I have chosen so much more the camera over the rod, these days I feel better catching the moment into a photograph.

What’s a good book you can recommend for us to read this year?

I probably shouldn’t say this because I’m the author, but further than my photography I strongly recommend what the biologist and fishing-guide Javier Urbanski has written for the edition of “Wild Trout.” It is a coffee table book with a modern and innovative design we both have published this year. It was published only in Argentina now, but it will be re-published in the States in a near future.

If you are a beer drinker, one local beer from your area you can recommend?

Today it is the boom of the home-made beers here… So Any local beer in town is pretty good, there’s one from the next town (Junin de los Andes) which is called Paihuen, I like it a lot!