Episode Details

While its origin is murky, the adage "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time," is at the heart of this wide-ranging discussion about ethical practices in wildlife photography.

From exotic safaris to local birding expeditions, interest in this subject matter has grown tremendously in recent years. Ever advancing camera technologies and increasing ease of use make stunning pictures more accessible than ever, but when these advantages combine with an unbridled enthusiasm for getting the shot, it can often put wildlife at risk.

After defining conservation photography as an act that extends beyond image capture to effect a change in the world, we delve into questionable practices that can threaten animal safety and compromise natural behaviors. From avoiding obvious red flags of baiting an animal with food or using audio lures to trigger photogenic results, to more subtle actions of approaching too quickly, getting too close, or staying too long—our guests shed light on alternative methods for ethical behavior in the field.

As Melissa states, "You just have to become a part of the landscape and feel yourself within this community of other beings whose voices and whose messages are as filled with meaning as ours are, but we really have yet to tap into it."

Guests: Melissa Groo & Bobby Stormer

Episode Timeline:

3:56: Defining the term conservation photographer and making a distinction with the term wildlife photographer.

5:25: Melissa's career shift to focus on animal research and her early days photographing wildlife.

12:15: Bobby's expansion from fine art to photography, his shift to photographing animals, plus his passion for local wildlife & animal rescue.

16:49: Bobby's rescue of a fox and her kits, and his work with rehabbers to rehabilitate animals in need.

20:04: The ethics of photographing wildlife, best practices to consider, and mistakes photographers can make that cross ethical lines.

28:59: An increased awareness of wildlife ethics and the importance of sharing best practices in photographing animals to help educate one another.

36:04: Truth in image captioning and the question of sharing detailed location details, plus the distressing truth behind wildlife game farms.

44:42: Episode Break

46:24: The cameras, lenses, and related photo gear Melissa and Bobby pack, plus their camera set-ups.

56:09: Bobby and Melissa talk focusing, aperture, shutter speed, ISO and other considerations for settings.

102:45: Ethical considerations beyond baiting animals and staging wildlife photo-ops at a time when nature and animal photography has gained huge traction.

1:05:57: Concerns related to captive animal photography, plus distinctions between various facilities—from zoos to sanctuaries to animal havens to wildlife game farms.

1:11:08: Wildlife rescue, the path to becoming a licensed animal rehabber, plus discussing the upsurge in interest in wildlife photography during the pandemic.

1:25:45: Advice for anyone seeking to become a professional wildlife or conservation photographer.