I have long believed that photographing wildlife and landscapes greatly benefits wildlife by raising awareness of conservation issues. But there’s a problem many of us don’t consider. Do you know what you can do to make sure your photography does more harm than good?
There is a children’s fairy tale about a king who asked for the world’s largest birthday cake. The baker created this monstrous fun and put it in a large box. Curious members of the royal family passed by and looked inside the box, and each wanted to try a small piece, thinking no one would notice. When it was time for the king’s birthday, he opened the box and left only a small crumb.
Landscape and wildlife photographers, often unknowingly, are doing the same thing with the subjects they shoot. Wildlife populations are plummeting and the world is waking up to the damage done by photographers.
The importance of where you live
No matter where you live, it is certain that it will be very important to different species of creatures. The coast where I live is next to an estuary. It teamed with wild animals. The rocky and sandy shores, tidal flats and dunes are home to an incredible variety of wildlife. Many of the birds that come here are migratory, so this little corner of the UK is of global importance.
I love taking pictures of those birds and the landscape here. However, I certainly don’t consider myself a wildlife photographer. That definition is preserved for those who study organisms and use that knowledge to understand them and their behavior. Those are the people who take incredible pictures. About a third of my bookshelf is filled with wildlife photography books because I love seeing those amazing images. I find them inspiring, but most importantly, I can learn something about the creatures because the photographers are experts in their fields. Invariably, these days, that information is about them being in danger of being wiped out by human intervention.
Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of photographers, like me, aspire to capture landscapes and wildlife photos that are beautiful enough to grace the cover of National Geographic Magazine. But we don’t have time to learn the wonderful skills of Andy Rouse, Apub Shahor Rathika Ramasamy. Therefore, we wanted to take a shortcut and not bother to learn how to take photos without disturbing wildlife. Therefore, along with the rest of humanity, we are slowly eating away at that pie. In my lifetime, almost three-quarters of wildlife has disappeared from this planet.
Bad practice in photography
It is the responsibility of wildlife photographers to learn how to have minimal impact on their subjects. But a lot of people don’t. Here are some examples.
Near where I live, little owls (Athena noctua) breed. Although their status is of the least concern worldwide, their numbers are rapidly declining in the UK, possibly due to intensive farming methods and the staggering loss of animals. invertebrates and small mammals that they eat. Only 7% of Britain’s native forests, where they live, are in ecologically good condition. Their disappearance is not the fault of the photographers.
They live on inaccessible private land. As a result, wildlife photographers lure them in by baiting them with powderworms on boundary fence posts. This seems harmless. After all, they are feeding the birds. However, the fence post is next to a road, which increases the risk of being hit by a car; one of them was. Furthermore, the post is also open, making these tiny birds more likely to be predated. Since owls frequently come to the same place to forage, larger hunters will treat small owls as easy meals too.
Some photographers play bird songs on their phones, which attracts others of that species. They came not to take pictures but to defend their territory against this non-existent intruder. Everything birds do is for survival, so this seemingly innocuous act distracts them from finding food, winning mates, feeding their young, defending their territory from invaders. real entrants and protect their families from predation.
Every winter, large flocks of migratory birds on the shore come to the mudflats here to feed. They create a magnificent sight. Many of these people have migrated long distances to reach their feeding grounds. They must replenish their energy reserves, ready to return to nesting sites thousands of miles away. Last year, I saw a woman run into the herd to catch them flying and then start taking pictures of them with her phone. Photographers often stalk these birds, getting as close as possible to take pictures, but end up scaring them away.
The use of drones is increasingly restricted because of the disturbance they cause to wildlife. Even when flying 100 meters away, they can still cause an accident. Most unmanned aerial vehicle (AEV) pilots don’t want to disturb wildlife and will seek advice from experts. While they may not appear to be disturbing, drones can still be a huge stress on animals and birds.
Each of those actions seems small when considered individually. Photographers may think that their actions alone do not cause too much of a problem. However, each unwanted disturbance increases the likelihood that the birds will not be able to cope with the additional stresses in their lives. Furthermore, multiply each incident by the tens of thousands of unskilled wildlife photographers who engage in similar behaviors and overall it has a huge impact. Wildlife photography is helping to destroy wildlife.
We often see photographers shooting birds crawling towards wildlife, putting so much pressure on them that it is inevitable that they will fly away.
Landscape photographers can be equally problematic for these creatures.
Likewise, we see photographers walking in an area where birds feed or perch to get a spot to photograph one of our magnificent castles or stunning landscapes. This often means hundreds of birds are disturbed, some migrating midway to West Africa and some migrating in midwinter, when every calorie consumed and expended can affect the birds. .
So what should we do about it?
To misquote a certain superhero, with great wildlife photography comes great responsibility. The techniques used by the best photographers to get the best photos are the ones with the least impact.
I asked Philadelphia zoologist and wildlife photographer Anwar Abdul-QawiFor expert advice:
I’m actually doing a presentation called “Ethical Wildlife Photography”. Mainly, it focuses on what it means to be a wildlife photographer and the footprints we leave behind. As wildlife photographers, it is our responsibility not only to capture the beauty of the natural world, but also to advocate for its protection.
The problem with wildlife photography is that there are many different forms around the world and that means everyone comes up with their own ethical way of doing things. I favor any technique that brings the least amount of stress to my subject.
No matter what we do as wildlife photographers when we’re in the field, we end up leaving some environmental footprint, I just try to make sure that my trail is as strong as possible. the smaller the better.
Learn from wildlife documentaries
I watched a bunch of great nature documentary produced by BBC, and some of their incredible footage takes months or even years to complete. We’re not sure we can invest that much time. Moreover, nowadays, people have a desire to fill every moment with some activity, usually doing something with their mobile phone. As a result, many people have lost the skill of sitting still and doing nothing. So the temptation is to make a mistake into an environment, using shortcuts to take our photos. Those are shortcuts that are especially harmful to the animals we photograph.
You don’t have to sit on an uncomfortable platform in the canopy for months, but if you don’t like staying in a hiding spot for a few hours and waiting, wildlife photography is probably not for you. Friend.
Simple things to do to improve your wildlife photography
Do your research. Talk to naturalists in the area you plan to photograph. Ask them about simple things you can do to get better photos of the area while also protecting the creatures in the environment you’re visiting.
There are also commonalities that always make a difference in your success and offer less impact:
The first secret to taking great wildlife photos is patience. Hold. Stay in one place and wait for the action to happen.
Don’t reach your audience, let them reach you.
If you must move, slow, gentle movements are less likely to frighten your subject.
Looking directly at a bird will often frighten it; two forward-facing eyes are those of a predator. Hold the camera in front of you to cover your eyes. However, many telephoto lenses are heavy so a good quality monopod gives you stability and mobility.
Having a Positive Impact on Photography
If photography is more important to you than the welfare of the creature you are photographing, then you should be aware of the paradigm shift in wildlife photography.
Although photographing birds in nests has long been deprecated, today photographers and even photo buyers are increasingly shunned by those who display a disdain for wildlife. other ways. To a large extent, our photographs and our joy in capturing them are at the bottom and the welfare of the animals or birds at the top. If your approach is to get the photo at all costs, your reputation will be damaged.
I could already hear the brigade shouting that other human activities harm wildlife more than photography, and they were right. Most wildlife loss is due to bad agricultural practices including monoculture, pesticide use, habitat destruction, overfishing and hunting, pollution and other activities. other mining on our planet. Add to that climate change.
But that’s not why we photographers don’t try our best not to cause harm. We get there by discovering and using best practices. Moreover, we can even use our skills to do some good.
You can use your photography positively by combining it with scientific research. Conservation organizations want to know the location and nesting sites of certain birds, and sometimes people can help with animal or bird counts. There will be similar jobs where you live. Typically, drones can be used to survey and photograph large herds and flocks can also aid in counting.
The surprise in the king’s box
At the end of the children’s story I mentioned earlier, the king was happy when he opened the box, even though only a crumb was left; It was a surprise. If photographers continue to contribute to the destruction of our wildlife, we too will be surprised, just a much less pleasant one. As our wildlife disappears, from the humblest pollinator to the largest thickskinned, the tapestry of life on Planet Earth will continue to unravel and the lack of creatures to photograph. would be the least of our worries.
