"Doctor and animal photographer, Nicolas Groffal, endured nearly a nine-hour extended visit."
Photographer Nicolas Groffal Blends In with Wildlife in the Woods
Nicolas Groffal, a general practitioner and wildlife photographer, is no stranger to enduring long waits and discomfort in the pursuit of the perfect shot. His camouflage gear, resembling a gnome and a stealth soldier, allows him to remain unnoticed by the wildlife, causing them to flee when they see him.
On this specific spring morning, Groffal crossed a meadow filled with buttercups and mugwort that extended his own garden. He settled at the edge of the woods and removed his heavy gear, including a telephoto lens, camera body, tripod, and backpack. During cold weather, he dons glacier boots for his photography sessions.
Behind his monstrous lens, Groffal is willing to wait for hours for animals. His patience and endurance have been tested, with his longest wait lasting almost nine hours without stretching his legs. The ermine, according to Groffal's experience, emerges from a hole once the photographer's fingers are well-numb.
Groffal's physical discomfort during his long waits is evident. He has experienced pins and needles, cramps, and the inability to shout. Yet, he remains undeterred, sitting in the grass and covering himself, his equipment, and his face with camouflaging fabrics, veils, glasses, and a hat to blend in with the woods.
Groffal's encounters with wildlife in the woods are not always smooth. He has had squirrels perching on his lens, a badger walking on his leg, and a squirrel settling on his right shoe. One squirrel, he claims, may have been "tachycardic" when it saw him, suggesting it had a rapid heartbeat due to fear.
Despite the challenges, Groffal's persistence has paid off. His wildlife photographs feature a variety of animals, including birds, foxes, chamois, ermine, and lynx. In 2024, his work earned him recognition at the largest European wildlife photography festival in Montier-en-Der.
As Groffal continues to blend in with the woods, his camouflage gear serving as a testament to his dedication and passion for wildlife photography, we can only imagine the incredible shots he will capture in the future.
- Groffal's dedication to his lifestyle of outdoor-living and home-and-garden extends beyond his photography studio, as he was drawn to the meadow filled with buttercups and mugwort that stretched from his garden into the woods.
- Upon returning home after a photoshoot, Groffal's lifestyle might involve reorganizing his home-and-garden tools, including his telephoto lens, camera body, tripod, and backpack, to prepare for his next outdoor-living adventure in the woods.
