Nature Photography Photo Workshop

1.2. ETHICS AND ETIQUETTE

It's vitally important that nature photographers follow a few standards of good behavior. The actions of photographers in nature have resounding effects that are not always immediately felt directly. Being a good nature photographer also means being a good steward of nature and showing deference to other photographers who share similar ambitions. In 1-4 a group of photographers is working in close proximity to one another during a workshop in the Utah desert.

Figure 1-4. ABOUT THIS PHOTO Image of workshop sunrise shoot in Utah (ISO 400, f/8, 1/40 sec. with a Canon EF 28-135mm IS lens).

1.2.1. RESPECTING NATURE

It should go without saying, but the most important tenet of responsibility for the nature photographer is not to damage or destroy nature. Shockingly, not all photographers adhere to this. In recent years there have been cases of neglect or outright vandalism perpetrated by photographers in nature, some of them well-known and high-visibility cases. In one example, a photographer set fires under several natural arches in Utah national parks, attempting to make unique photographs. The damage was extensive. The photographer pleaded guilty to all counts, was fined nearly $11,000, and was banned from national parks for two years.

More commonly I've seen photographers tear up shrubs, break off tree branches, and trample wildflowers. Pulling up some ...