Imagine that a photographer sees a great picture of a lion, taken in Africa, in the wild, and is inspired by it. He then goes to a safari park and produces an image that is at first glance very similar. He feels happy with his image, publishes it and wins acclaim for his prowess as a wildlife photographer.
So what's the difference between the two images? Some might say that the main difference is that while the first photographer bothered to go out to the wilds of Africa, the second man was cleverer in that he created a similar image at a fraction of the cost, avoided carbon-guzzling global travel and was not exposed to any risk of personal injury. I say that this is the same difference that GK Chesterton so pithily pointed out: both images may be good photographs, but only one person is a good wildlife photographer. And it is not the bloke who went to the zoo!
Wessex Wildlife Photography was born out of my intense frustration that so many photographers in the UK find it very hard to get the images they want of our native wildlife; so they end up in zoos, deer parks and 'wildlife centres' where there are prepared hides. It is not hard to get close to nature; the skills I teach and the knowledge I can give you is all quite simple. They can be used in the open countryside, in the wildest places to be found in these lovely islands, in a wildlife reserve or in the suburban park near your home. But when you go out to capture images of nature, you must be aware that there are right and wrong ways to behave towards the subjects and the people around you. Not everyone is aware of all of the things they need to consider, most people are aware of some of them.
So here are a few of the ethical considerations that inform what I do as a photographer and how I operate as a photographic guide.
I always operate under this rule, "the welfare of the subject is more important than the photograph".
This applies to everything: birds, bats, beetles, fungi and foxgloves. It applies to the places that they are found and the people who own and care for those places. It applies particularly to birds protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (W&CA) and to animals protected under Schedule 5 (and their habitats as described in Schedule 9) and plants listed in Schedule 8 of that Act. It also includes the more comprehensive and modern lists of Priority Species and Habitats that fall under the aegis of the Natural Environment & Rural Communities Act 2006 (NERC), Section 41 and relevant Scottish legislation.
The Precautionary Principle applies.
In this case, I define the Principle as being "if in doubt, don't do it". We might expose ourselves to personal risk, but we do not take risks with plants, animals, fungi, habitats or landscapes. Risk means, in this context, disturbance, physical damage, anxiety, consequential predation or lessened reproductive success. This is particularly important on protected areas such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and when dealing with protected species.
The overall impact of any baiting should be positive.
Baits are either natural (such as carrion) or they are non-injurious (such as peanuts), but are not used in such quantities as to cause a local population to become dependent upon it or that it changes the local vegetation (through trampling or nutrification). I use baiting (and calling) when I think that it is necessary to get the shot or if the welfare of the subject is enhanced by doing so. For instance, calling deer towards you may be much less stressful for the deer that trying to stalk close to them. With some exceptions, this will be done outside the breeding season and away from breeding sites such as dens and nests. Baiting near breeding sites will tend to increase competitive stress and may attract predators.
The effect of wildlife photography should be positive.
Habitats are not disturbed, they are conserved. In several of the places that I go to take pictures and where I take clients, I also carry out habitat management work such as cutting scrub. I provide the land owners and managers with images, advice and increase their understanding and knowledge.
The truth of the final image
My images depict the essential truth of what I saw at the time it was taken. Any post-processing enhances that truth, it does not alter it. I do not take images of controlled, home-bred or captive subjects. the one exception to this are the plants I grow as part of a conservation project. These plants are then planted out into carefully selected sites as part of a planned project (http://www.ccwwdaonb.org.uk/our-work/stepping-stones-project/)
To finish, here's a wild lion. She was the dominant female of a pride in the South Luangwa Valley. She carried the recent wounds suffered while she killed a buffalo: large open wounds to her leg and abdomen caused by the sharp horns. She would have wrapped herself round the buffalo's head, clamped her mouth over it's nose and mouth then hung on as it banged her against the ground. She was tough, a real killer and I like to think that some of that truth about her and how she made me feel come across in this image.
