In May 2022, I embarked on my first photography trip abroad, spending a week at Bence Máté’s renowned farm in Hungary. Bence Máté is a dedicated and innovative nature photographer, well-known for experimenting with artificial light and helping other locations worldwide replicate the unique atmosphere of his hides. One thing that stood out to me was his genuine care for wildlife—an example being how he rescued ground squirrels from an airport in Hungary, providing them a safe home on his farm, where they now thrive.
The setup at his farm is designed to let visitors explore a variety of hides, offering opportunities to photograph a wide range of species in carefully thought-out environments. As someone new to bird photography at the time, I was eager to experience these different perspectives and settings.
That said, I found myself uncomfortable with certain practices, such as using dead fish as bait in some of the hides. Similar to my later experience in Finland, I’ve come to realize that this approach doesn’t align with the type of nature photography I want to pursue.
Despite that, the trip was an incredible opportunity to observe and photograph a wide variety of bird species. The diversity was truly inspiring, and the night heron, in particular, became a favorite of mine during the visit.
