Wildlife Photography Ethics

Hi everyone!!

First off, a warm welcome to my blog. My name is Benjamin and I’m a year one student pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies. This blog is one of the components in a module for my course and since I am an avid wildlife photographer, I decided to blog about the ethics in wildlife photography. I started wildlife photography about 8 years ago. Back then, I only had a tiny point and shoot camera and had trouble identifying many of the wildlife. As my interest grew, I decided to invest more in my equipment and bought my first proper DSLR camera with a telephoto lens. Through the 8 years, I observed many different practices employed by photographers and have always wondered why certain practices are viewed more negatively than others. So, I guess this blog will give me the perfect opportunity to find out more!!

Image Source

(Benjamin Seah, 2017)

From admiring our cute otters to the increasing popularity of birding, it seems there is growing interest in the flora and fauna. Not just in Singapore but all over the world, as technology improves the prices for photographic equipment becomes more affordable. This contributes to the number of people getting into wildlife filming and photography. While it is good to be more aware of the living environment around us, could we also be giving our wildlife too much unwanted attention?

Wildlife photography is a very enriching hobby. Being able to freeze the moment and capture wildlife gives me a sense of great accomplishment. Not to mention my joy when my photos receive compliments and likes from others on social media. Wildlife photography and filming itself is also an important part of documenting and learning about animals’ behavior, preferred habitat and more.

But have you ever looked at some photos and felt that it was impossible or at least incredibly difficult for the photographer to get that shot? Or thought that some photos looked too clean, i.e., no stray branches or leaves. Chances are, some of these ”perfect shots” are planned and staged to achieve this result. That said, not all photographers with good photos stage their pictures. Some are just incredibly lucky, very skilled with their equipment, have a deep understanding of the animals’ behavior or a combination of the three.

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(Ian Siah, 2020)

Staging a photo is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what some photographers will do just to get a wildlife photo. The different ethics people apply to wildlife photography are sometimes even brought up on forums and group chats, occasionally leading to arguments about which practices are right or wrong. My goal in this blog is not to stir up emotions within the photography community, but instead to explore how the hobby and the different practices may impact our biodiversity, share recent incidents relating to wildlife photography and hopefully get you interested too. I will also include some tips and advice I’ve learned over the years in the blog, so stay tuned!!

 

*All images belong to me unless otherwise stated*

*Permission has been given by the photographer for images that do not belong to me*

8 thoughts on “Wildlife Photography Ethics

  1. Hi Benjamin! Photography is one of my hobbies too, I don’t do wildlife photography but I’m always amazed when I see photos of wildlife. Some of them do seem impossible but I have never thought that they might have been staged. I have actually wondered about the possible negative environmental impacts of wildlife photography/filming so I will be looking forward to your posts!

    Cheers,
    Si Ying

    1. Hi Si Ying!! Thanks for visiting my blog. When I first started the hobby, I didn’t realise that staging exist too. I will try to get my hands on some photos in my future posts to show how some of the staging is done.

      Stay tuned!! =)

  2. Hello Benjamin, what an interesting topic! What are some of your favourite wildlife photography spots in Singapore? By the way, I love the stork-billed kingfisher photo that you took. Definitely going to stay tuned for future posts.

    1. Hi Sarah-Ann!! If I have to pick one, it’ll be Sugei Buloh Wetland Reserve. It’s the closest park from my home and during the migratory season, one can observe the variety of shorebirds that flock over from other countries. Also, it’s not as warm as the forested areas (possibly due to the lower humidity). =)

  3. Hi Benjamin! As someone who loves taking photographs as well, I’m interested to know what it’s like to photograph wildlife (I’ve done it before, but definitely not with such professional equipment), as well as its impacts on the environment, and perhaps if it could be used as a tool to actually promote conservation and the like. Personally, I was thinking of writing about marine life photography for one of my blog posts as well and if anything, you could just reach me to discuss about it! Looking forward to your blog posts as well as more of your photographs!

    1. Hi Natasha!! Thanks for the suggestion. Will definitely include the possibility of using photography as a tool for conservation in one of my future post. Looking forward to your post on marine life photography.
      =)

  4. Hi Benjamin, as I am someone that does not have any experience in photography, how would you recommend that one gets started in such a daunting (and expensive) field?
    -Li Zhe

    1. Hi Li Zhe. It doesn’t have to be expensive!! Its a common misconception that photography is a expensive hobby. But in reality, if you are willing to look into the second hand market for old gear, they will probably cost about the same as the smartphones we have. Plus, starting with cheaper gear makes your photography journey less daunting as the cameras will be easier to use (fewer features).

      Also, a more important factor is the amount of time you spend photographing. One can have the most expensive equipment, but misses a lot of good opportunity if they don’t go out to shoot regularly. So, why not start? Hope this is convincing enough to get you into the photography!! HAHAHA

      – Ben

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