Best of the Best
Best of the Best
Young Critters
Young Critters
Wild Behaviour
Wild Behaviour
Unique Encounters
Unique Encounters
Magic Light
Magic Light
Unique Perspective
Unique Perspective
Joy and Whimsy
Joy and Whimsy
Frozen in Motion
Frozen in Motion
Animals in the Landscape
Animals in the Landscape
Family Time
Family Time
Winter Wildlife
Winter Wildlife
  • Home
  • Our Story
  • Nature Labs
  • Images and Stories
    • Stories from the Field
    • Featured Galleries
  • Make a Difference | Shop
  • Home
  • Our Story
  • Nature Labs
  • Images and Stories
    • Stories from the Field
    • Featured Galleries
  • Make a Difference | Shop
0
Photography Ethics: Better to unite than to divide
February 4, 2018 By  Ghost Bear With  1 Comment
In  Opinion  /  Simon Jackson

An important note about the owl images on our website: They’re all wild owls captured in a wild setting, without intended human interference.

What does this mean?

You may have heard the debate raging in some circles that an increasing number of owl images are the result of baited situations – people placing, in some cases, store bought mice in fields in order to get owls to fly at them. We do not bait, but we also know that we’re not perfect.

Any interaction with wildlife has the potential to alter behaviour – it can be as unintended as a sneeze (which once caused a moose to run away from us) or as absent minded as driving too close to a subject.

Wildlife photography – and observation research – is a learned skill, improved by information, experience and mentorship. We can all be better at what we do and all of us should constantly demand better of ourselves. That, after all, is being human. As is admitting imperfection – and we’re most certainly imperfect.

What we’ve learned through research is that owl baiting is not illegal, but it can cause the death of the creatures we love. Owls baited near roads are more prone to being hit by vehicles and those baited with non-native species can become ill or die from exposure to chemicals or disease. Moreover, simulating a hunt is not the same as capturing truly wild behaviour – and, ultimately, observing and documenting unknown or rarely seen acts is the gift photography can give to conservation education.

We’ve also learned that remaining silent and staying still (even if our noses are dripping from the cold or the mosquitoes are biting in the summer) ‎is the best way for us to show respect to the animal we’re documenting.

More critically, we’ve discovered that it’s imperative that we learn about the species we seek to observe before we enter the field and then take the time to observe the creature, if possible, before we photograph it.

Why?

‎Educating ourselves about wildlife ecology enables us to understand the subtle signs an animal might be telling us – that we’re too close or we’ve stayed too long.

It also enables us, as storytellers, to prepare to document a natural owl take-off or impending hunt.

Though it often requires patience and missed shots, it is – despite what some might say – possible to photograph an owl in flight (even an owl flying at you) without baiting. Our owl flight images are hardly the gold standard, but we know many who have captured award-winning images without interference. And we know, with more hard work and patience, our dream shot will one day be realized.

The more we take the time to really learn from our subjects, the better images we capture and the more authentic the stories we’re able to tell. That helps us get closer to our stated goal of being being good stewards and good educators, while also ensuring our love for nature actually helps sustain nature.

Though Simon has worked with wildlife for over two decades, and Jill for almost a decade, ‎we can still improve our practices.

But here’s the thing about learning: It happens through respectful, engaging conversation. These are our beliefs and values and while we obviously have no issue with calling out a wrong as we see it, we have no interest in making a disagreement personal. Bullying and online shaming, we feel, alienates, no matter how virtuous a position might be. A thoughtful conversation and fact-based education have long proved to be the best tools to create enduring change.

At the end of the day, photography ethics are important, but not the most pressing issue facing wildlife or the environment or the world. That doesn’t mean it’s an issue that should be ignored or taken lightly, but it does mean we should tone down the vitriol in the debate. Alienating those we must work together with to enable progress on the most pressing issues of our time only dilutes the voice of the animals and wild spaces that do not have one.

Now, more than ever, we need to work together.‎ And in the doing, if we can present ourselves – and our opinions, values and ethics – as imperfect works-in-progress, we might be able to help make a difference on all levels for the issues we each care about. Only then will we truly create a better world for all life.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related




You might also like


Help!
January 10, 2021
A new home for our stories
November 29, 2020
Give a gift with meaning: Six ways to support Nature Labs this holiday season.
November 6, 2020



  • Simon & Jill


    It’s this enduring belief that inspired Jill Cooper – an accomplished educator – and Simon Jackson – an award-winning storyteller – to spend nearly a decade immersed in nature, documenting remarkable stories that showcase the fragility and the resilience of our biodiversity.
  • Follow us on Instagram!


  • Gifts with Meaning


    • Package of 10 Greeting Cards $50.00
    • Gift Certificate $100.00 – $500.00
    • Donate $25.00 – $1,000.00
    • Grizzly Bear in Snow | Fine Art Print $75.00 – $500.00
    • Swift Fox Siblings | Fine Art Print $75.00 – $500.00
    • Reflective Clouds | Fine Art Print $75.00 – $500.00
    • Prancing | Fine Art Print $75.00 – $500.00
    • Mountain Reflection | Fine Art Print $75.00 – $500.00
    • Swift Kiss | Fine Art Print $75.00 – $500.00
    • Above the Mountains | Fine Art Print $75.00 – $500.00
  • Search






  • Facebook


    Facebook
  • Instagram


    Our jaws dropped to the snowy ground when we witnessed this lynx running toward our car. We soon realized that it was chasing another lynx, hoping for a little companionship.⁠
    Snowy owl weathering the blizzard.⁠
    A different perspective of two bighorn practicing their rut skills.⁠
    Jill is still equal parts sad and smug that she is the only one of the Ghost Bear duo that has seen a #bobcat.⁠
    Happy #FoxyFriday! ⁠
    “There are an awful lot of scientists today who believe that before very long we shall have unraveled all the secrets of the universe. There will be no puzzles anymore. To me, it’d be really, really tragic because I think one of the most exciting things is this feeling of mystery, feeling of awe, the feeling of looking at a little live thing and being amazed by it and how it has emerged through these hundreds of years of evolution and there it is and it is perfect and why.”⁠

  • Click here to support the development of Nature Labs by becoming a patron. It’s Nature Labs. Or, for you, our (hopefully) faithful Patreon subscribers, it’s a window into the stories we’ll tell and the adventure that is bringing Nature Labs to life. Sometimes serious and often ridiculous, we invite you to join us on a journey unlike any other…
  • Our Tweets


    My Tweets

[email protected] | © Ghost Bear Institute 2021