How To Photograph Wildlife Ethically

How can YOU photograph wildlife ethically? Join Rockies & Plains Representative Kaitie Schneider to find out!

Transcript:

If you’re like me and love photographing wildlife, it’s really important that we do our part to minimize any negative impacts we’re having on the very animals and plants that we’re photographing. So how do you get beautiful wildlife photos like these while doing it responsibly? I’m glad you asked! The golden rule here is do no harm. Don’t bait, lure, chase, or harass wildlife just to get a better shot. Instead, really learn and study about the animals that you’re trying to photograph to find the best places and times to spot them. You also want to be a safe and respectful distance from wildlife at all times. And this may be one yard or 100 yards, depending on the animal you’re photographing and the animals around you. A good way to think about distance is that if the animal you’re photographing is changing its behavior as a result of your presence, then you’re too close. You can still get really captivating up close images of wildlife by using a telephoto lens like this for large animals or a macro lens like this for tiny ones. Lastly, you want to use your flash sparingly, if at all. Camera flashes can be really harmful to wildlife if we’re not careful, especially birds. Play around with natural light at different times of day and at different places to test around your creativity worry free. See you next time.