Ethics & Conservation

Nature photographers must take precautions to minimize the impact of their photography on their subjects and on the environment. Neglect of this duty not only damages the environment that sustains nature photography, but it reflects negatively on photographers as a whole. Such behavior can result in areas being closed to visitors or requiring special permits for access.

Let common sense be your guide (i.e. don't let your enthusiasm for a wonderful subject overwhelm your common sense). When photographing subjects near roadways, be aware of traffic. For your own safety and for the safety of others, don't interfere with traffic by driving slow, blocking traffic or parking improperly.

When working in crowded areas, be aware of and respect the needs of other visitors and photographers enjoying the area. Try to limit the amount of time you occupy high demand vantage points and be aware of walking into the composition of other photographers. While such conflicts are rare, they occasionally occur between photographers and visitors in high-traffic, highly-photographed areas such as sunset at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park or sunrise at Reflection Lakes in Mount Rainier National Park.

And, of course, always respect local laws, regulations, and the property rights of others.

Vegetation 

Vegetation can easily sustain long term damage when subjected to even moderate levels of traffic. Especially sensitive locations include areas of wet soil and/or low woody plants, any area subject to high foot traffic and, in desert regions, areas of cryptogamic crust. Such areas can take several decades to recover and can be costly to restore when restoration is possible at all. Such damage is readily apparent in the Paradise Meadows of Mount Rainier National Park, for example, where visitors routinely ignore signs to stay off the meadows.

Use established trails wherever possible and always where signed. When working off trail in areas that can handle foot traffic, minimize impact by trying to walk on rocks, sand or snow; by not pruning living branches or vegetation; by working the edges of flower meadows instead of walking through the middle of them; and by following clean, low-impact camping rules. When visiting a new location, make an effort to become aware of sensitive areas. Local management agencies can provide guidance. Nearly all guidebooks contain advice on low-impact visitation in the areas they cover.

Wildlife 

Even slight disturbance of an animal can impact an animal's health when it occurs repeatedly. For example, while whistling once to get an animal to raise it’s head won’t by itself affect an animal, even this kind of slight disturbance can impact an animal if it occurs repeatedly by other photographers or other observers. Such cumulative effect can force the animal to move somewhere else, possibly to an area with less abundant or less desirable food supply. When working with animals subjected to even a moderate level of disturbance by people, your goal should be to not take any action that will modify the behavior of the animal in any way.

Nesting and denning sites are especially sensitive to repeated disturbances. When you discover such a sensitive site in the course of your work, be sure to understand how your interaction may affect the site. If your action may jeopardize the health of the animal, leave the site immediately. Protect your knowledge of any such sites so as to help avoid repeated disturbances by others.

Of course be sure to know and follow any laws that govern your interaction with any protected species you encounter.

Conservation 

As nature photographers, we owe it to the subjects that sustain our craft to take an active part in environmental conservation. You obviously must study and understand nature in order to photograph it successfully, but I challenge you to go beyond this and to take an active part in its preservation.

Of course there are numerous ways to do this through monetary donation to conservation organizations.  But I challenge you to go beyond this by personally volunteering for a conservation organization, club or governmental agency. Examples of ways to get actively involved include voluntary trail maintenance, habitat restoration projects, participation in the National Park "Volunteer In the Park" (VIP) program, or even donation of your photographic services. If you support environmental causes, help is always needed with political lobbying efforts, letter drives, or special mailings.

Find an organization that you can relate to and that suits your style and get actively involved.