“It all started with my great love for animals” : Roberto Costa was born and grew up in Asiago where he still lives with his family. Before retiring Roberto had to limit his naturalistic photography to his free time. Forty years on and Roberto still loves to go out into the mountains with his trusty camera (“no digital, I’ll hang on a bit longer…”) and wait patiently for the right moment when one of nature’s creatures, tempted by the seeds littered around his little hut, slowly and shyly come forward to eat. A hunter without a gun. Tireless in his quest for beauty, Roberto spends days and nights lying in wait for the perfect moment.
“For 35 years I took my holidays in May” – he tells us – “from at 1 o’clock in the morning onwards I would hide in the snow for hours and hours. Alert. Waiting for the black grouse males to start their duel over the female”
Roberto knows everything about bird life in the plateau of Asiago: where they gather, their movements, where they feed, where they breed. Every single snap with its own story to tell. Like the one about wood peckers
“Black woodpeckers usually nest in larches but I found a young couple who had decided otherwise and had made their nest in a tree trunk 9 metres high. I decided to wait until the little ones were born so I wouldn’t frighten them away. I climbed a nearby tree to study the birds and when the time was right, I wore a camouflage cape and tied myself to the trunk where I stayed until the woodpeckers were used to me – and then I waited a further 15 days until I could take pictures of the little ones peeping out of the whole in the tree trunk to receive an insect from their parents’ beaks.”
And the one about golden eagles.
“A powerful emotion. I was hiding amongst the rocks to take shots of alpine chamois when I was distracted by a couple of golden eagles circling above me. They disappeared into a rock crack with a shear drop of about 150 meters. As their circular flights became less frequent, I was sure they were nesting and I hid in another crack, covering myself with branches. I could have gone closer, but decided to keep the distance so as not to disturb them. When one of the eagles flew back with a small animal in his beak I knew that their eaglet was born. I watched as a variety of mountain creatures were brought back: marmots, alpine hares, black grouse and rock ptarmigan. Despite my distant hiding place the mother had seen me and started circling above to show me that she knew – I waved in response. She flew away, I waved again and so started a ritual which permitted me to stay on as spectator. At last the eaglet made an appearance. By now I was intent on photographing the first flight. One day I arrived at my hide out and could hear the constant chirruping of the little one.. the sound came from the valley below me. The eaglet had made its first flight. I could hear it amongst the larches. Suddenly the mother circled above and then landed and a duet ensued. The baby eagle twittered and its mother responded to the call. Two different tones: the discrete chirruping of the young and strong authoritative call of the mother. The concert lasted a few minutes and once the little one was reassured by its mother they both took to the sky. Right before me they flew high and disappeared behind a great rock – my own emotions were so strong I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming!
And the story when I risked frost bite.
“25th January and -25°C with me in the snow waiting for a fox which I had spotted the day before on a rock ledge. Its eyes fixed on something, the fox would suddenly arch its back and delve into the snow like a professional diver Finally he came up with a little mouse. After a good five hours I decided to go back home. It was freezing cold but I still hung around… too long. In these arctic conditions I realized my feet and hands were literally freezing. I always keep a candle in my rucksack and I lit it, took off my boots and tried to warm my feet. I kept massaging hands and feet with no result. In the end I slowly left my hide-out and made my way to the car. I turned the heating up full blast in the hope I’d feel something, but my fingers and toes still felt numb, anesthetized. I drove straight to Asiago hospital were I was diagnosed
with first stage frost-bite. A little bit longer and I would have permanently lost the ability to move my extremities. You see, every photo really does have its own story to tell.
Roberto Costa tells his stories about the plateau of Asiago, about life, nature that has become his life and reminds us that it is our life too.
This is why it must be protected.

Roberto Costa has published 2 photographic collections “L’Altipiano delle meraviglie”, with an introduction by Mario Rigoni Stern and , and “Altopiano, cuore della natura”, with the collaboration of Rigoni di Asiago.

Roberto Costa photographic copyright. All rights reserved.
For information contact Roberto Costa: robertocosta.asiago@gmail.com