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• Learn patterns of animal behavior—know when not to interfere with animals’ life cycles.

• Respect the routine needs of animals—remember that others will attempt to photograph them, too.

• Use appropriate lenses to photograph wild animals—if an animal shows stress, move back and use a longer lens.

• Acquaint yourself with the fragility of the ecosystem—stay on trails that are intended to lessen impact.

Social: knowledge of rules and laws

• When appropriate, inform managers or other authorities of your presence and purpose—help minimize cumulative impacts and maintain safety.

• Learn the rules and laws of the location—if minimum distances exist for approaching wildlife, follow them.

• In the absence of management authority, use good judgment—treat the wildlife, plants, and places as if you were their guest.

• Prepare yourself and your equipment for unexpected events—avoid exposing yourself and others to preventable mishaps.

Individual: expertise and responsibilities

• Treat others courteously—ask before joining others already shooting in an area.

• Tactfully inform others if you observe them engaging in inappropriate or harmful behavior—many people unknowingly endanger themselves and animals.

• Report inappropriate behavior to proper authorities—don’t argue with those who don’t care; report them.

• Be a good role model, both as a photographer and a citizen—educate others by your actions; enhance their understanding.

Adopted February 3, 1996, by the NANPA board of directors.

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From a strictly selfish standpoint, if wildlife continues to have negative experiences with people, our photographic opportunities will become less frequent and making great shots will be an even harder challenge to overcome.

Laws and rules are put into place for your protection, as well as that of the wildlife you pursue. Be alert, obey the rules, and pay attention to signs that warn you of possible danger (Figure 4.5).

Figure 4.5 Signs are put in place to warn of possible danger from wildlife. By paying careful attention to them, you can avoid unpleasant, if not dangerous, situations.

Types of Wildlife Photographs

There are many types of wildlife images to consider, from the more static environmental portraits to frame-filling, in-your-face portraits. Some images capture your subject’s behavior and convey action. Over time, you will develop your own personal style of photography and seek out the type of wildlife opportunities that suit your style. The lens you use (see Chapter 2, “Camera Settings and Shooting Techniques”) plays a big part in the types of wildlife photographs you make. How close you are able to legally and comfortably approach your subject also impacts the type of image you capture. The location and season (see Chapter 5, “Location, Location, Location”) you choose contributes to the types of behavior you are able to photograph, as does your proficiency with your camera.

Environmental Portraits

Environmental portraits include your subject in its surroundings, adding a storytelling element to your photographs. Images that show habitat provide additional information about the life of your subject and its habitat to those who view them. Additionally, they add a sense of scale between the subject and its world. You may find that your preferred style of photography leans towards including more of the environment, or you might be constrained to capture the overall scene due to the lack of extreme focal length (400–600mm). The same elements that go into making a great landscape image also make great environmental portraits—from lens selection to composition to depth of field. While photographing a Harbor seal in Alaska, I used a mid-range aperture to increase the depth of field, showing more detail in the background yet still keeping it slightly out of focus so that it complements the seal rather than competing with it for your attention (Figure 4.6).

Figure 4.6 Including the background in this scene of a Harbor seal adds a sense of place to the image.

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Note