Sometimes a photographer sends you a few images and makes you stop scrolling. That’s what happened when Edgar Madrenys shared his photographs with us. We loved what he was doing with the MrJan Gear Floating Hide, so we reached out to ask about his experience. His answer was fascinating.
Part of the water
Edgar Madrenys Pallarés (Cornellà de Llobregat, 1986) is a nature photographer, filmmaker, wildlife technician and guide. After years of working directly with native wildlife, he now uses photography and film to explore and share the wild nature that exists all around us.
Edgar lives near Barcelona, where pockets of wetland still survive among the city and its surroundings. Rather than travelling far in search of spectacular wildlife, he decided to explore what was happening much closer to home — from the water itself.
One of his main subjects is the Little Grebe. Using the floating hide, Edgar can get down to the birds’ level without disturbing them. “The floating hide allows me to disappear. I don’t feel like a photographer hiding from wildlife – I simply stop existing in the birds’ world.”
Little Grebes swim just centimetres away. They dive between his legs. One even poked its head through the opening of the hide, apparently trying to figure out what this strange floating object was.
But getting closer to nature also revealed something less beautiful. Plastic waste is caught in the reeds and vegetation. Some of it ends up in birds’ nests, creating a very real danger for adults and chicks.
That has become part of Edgar’s story too: to show us what is happening in these small, overlooked places — and remind us that wildlife doesn’t only live remote. It’s also right on our doorstep. If you want to discover it, sometimes you just have to get down to its level. Like the water level. And disappear.
Edgar’s project is still ongoing. We’re looking forward to see where it takes him next!
All images © Edgar Madrenys
Want to disappear into the wild? Step inside the hide.
