Felipe Cuoco Unveils Ice Crown, a Visual Masterpiece Reflecting His Achievements

This year I was honoured with three awarded works. Two were captured in Patagonia: Ice Crown, a mountain bathed in the ephemeral light of the golden hour, and Silent Flames of the Range, where Torres del Paine ignites under the first rays of dawn. The third, Golden Survival – The Legend of Makala, was born in the Pantanal, Brazil, portraying the resilience of a jaguar swimming through golden waters at sunset.

Winning with images from such contrasting biomes—the icy silence of Patagonia and the vibrant life of the Pantanal—makes me feel that my photography is building bridges between worlds. It reaffirms my mission to use art as a tool to inspire awareness and appreciation for nature across continents.

I select photographs that combine visual impact with emotional depth. Beyond technical excellence, I look for images that tell a story, evoke reflection, or transport the viewer directly into the scene.

The desire to preserve fleeting beauty. My first experiences in the Pantanal showed me how quickly light, wildlife, and silence vanish. A camera became my way of protecting those instants and sharing them with others.

Wildlife and landscapes. They are unpredictable, raw, and humbling. Nature decides everything—my role is to wait patiently for the right light, gesture, or silence. It teaches me presence and humility.

I currently work with Canon EOS R5, paired with the RF 100-500mm for wildlife and RF 15-35mm for landscapes. This combination gives me sharpness, versatility, and speed in unpredictable environments. My favourite feature is the autofocus accuracy for fast-moving animals, which allows me to focus on emotion and composition.

A sense of awe and silence—as if they were standing in front of something timeless, greater than themselves, yet fragile enough to require care.

For"Golden Survival", it was the intensity of witnessing a jaguar swimming across the river—every second mattered, and I had to remain steady and invisible. While"For Ice Crown", the greatest challenge was endurance: fighting freezing winds and waiting for a light that lasted less than five minutes. As"For Silent Flames of the Range", it was patience—waiting for the sunrise to paint the peaks with fire, knowing the moment would disappear instantly.

Yes—the Pantanal and Patagonia. The Pantanal is the beating heart of Brazil, where wildlife and natural beauty define every encounter. Patagonia, on the other hand, is silence and immensity, where mountains and glaciers embody the timelessness of the Earth. Both places form the soul of my ongoing project, Between Worlds - South America.

Sebastião Salgado has always inspired me with his ability to merge art with environmental and social impact. But nature itself is my greatest teacher—it is unpredictable, powerful, and endlessly poetic.

Awards are not only about recognition but about sharing your vision with the world. My advice is: submit what feels personal and authentic. Judges see technique, but what resonates is emotion. Make sure your work carries both.

Take your time. Photography is not only about cameras, but about observing and feeling. Learn to see before pressing the shutter—the poetry of the moment is your true lens.

Editing is the final brushstroke. My process is subtle—adjusting light, contrast, and colours to bring the viewer closer to the atmosphere I experienced. I avoid altering reality, focusing instead on enhancing its truth.

AI will speed up workflows and expand creative possibilities, but authenticity will remain irreplaceable. My photography will always be rooted in the raw power of nature, and technology will serve as a complement, not a substitute.

I would photograph the last untouched corners of our planet—places where silence still reigns. Capturing them is a way of preserving not only beauty but also memory for future generations.