Wilderness is more than an ecological condition for Canon Ambassador Bruno D'Amicis – it's a state of mind. With a strong conservation agenda, the Italian photojournalist has spent the past 20 years documenting endangered creatures in some of the world's last remaining wild areas, from the wolves and bears of Italy's rugged Apennine Mountains to the elusive Saharan fennec fox.

"My photography is a quest to satisfy the curiosity I developed as a child for the natural world," says Bruno. "My photographic sensibility has been shaped by the sensations I've felt in the wildest corners of Italy. Out there, the hand of man vanishes and you're in a pocket of timeless reality."

In 2004, on completing his MSc in biology, Bruno decided to give wildlife photography a proper shot, and moved to Berlin, since he believed Germany offered a better market for photography. "I had no money, so I was going around the city on my bike, photographing urban wildlife – foxes and wild boars," he says. He teamed up with a like-minded German photographer, Florian M?llers – a collaboration that taught him how to work as a professional photographer, including pitching to clients, developing ideas and focusing on narratives, and thinking in terms of stories rather than single images.

This set him on a path that led to membership of the German Society for Nature Photography, and his first assignment: a book documenting wild Berlin, commissioned by the council's department for green spaces. With his fee, he bought a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens (now succeeded by the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM) and headed to the Tatra Mountains, along the border of northern Slovakia. There he photographed wild bears, a long-term project that would become his next book, The Last Stronghold: Fifteen Years in the Company of Bears. Since then, he has published several more books, including Ornata: The Most Beautiful Chamois of the World, Time for Wolves and The Secret of the Giants, all focused on the Apennine region where he now resides.

As well as editorial work for clients such as National Geographic, GEO and BBC Wildlife, Bruno always makes space and time for self-initiated projects, such as his acclaimed series on the threatened fennec fox, which won top awards in both the World Press Photo and the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competitions in 2014. Increasingly, he also creates multimedia for NGOs and governmental bodies.

"Photography is still my main language, but this has become a means to help conservationists or scientists to get their message out further," he explains. "I like to do projects that have a positive or thought-provoking end result. I always have a mission in mind."

You've photographed endangered creatures around the world – from bears to wolves, even snails… which was the most challenging?
"Each subject presents its own unique set of difficulties. Besides, the more experienced you get, the higher your expectations because you want to raise your standards. That said, the fennec foxes were really difficult to photograph. On the border between Algeria and Tunisia, I faced a hostile environment with intense heat and sandstorms. My kit was exposed to grit and fine sand, which can get into the focusing barrels. On top of that, I was dealing with a small and super-skittish animal with an incredible sense of hearing."

Does your scientific background influence the kind of images you take?
"I like to frame my subjects in their context. As a trained biologist, I want to show where the animal lives and how important its habitat is for the species' survival. So my first approach is to go for wide environmental shots with a strong composition, sharp across the whole frame."

Beyond this, how would you describe your visual style?
"Light is really important for me to give depth to my images and strong contours to my subjects. I like simplicity. A perfect picture in my opinion has no more than two or three colours so I like the desert or the snow as both give clean, minimalist backgrounds. But I also like the complete opposite – really strong close-ups: an animal's eyes; the detail of the dorsal pattern of the scales of a snake or fish; the design of a mammal's coat; or the wing of a bird."

How do you ensure your presence doesn't impact on the places you work?
"Knowledge of your subjects is fundamental to avoid disrupting their behaviour or harming them in any way. Research is key. If I'm in the field for a month, I'll spend two months planning and researching beforehand. It's incredible how much information you can now get before going to a place – satellite data, scientific papers, even pictures of the area shot by amateurs can help."

"I love taking strong pictures but I would never put the life of a subject at risk because of my photographic ambitions. You develop a certain sixth sense about when the situation isn't OK and I'm always happy to step back if necessary. Working slowly and allowing yourself time is the best way to ensure your work is meaningful. If you don't force events, they will unfold the way they should, and you will be rewarded more than you can imagine. The most unique pictures I have taken were gifts that were given to me from the fact I was spending time with the subject, not pushing the situation."

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Website: www.brunodamicis.com