As photography becomes accessible to all, it’s even more important to shoot responsibly in order to protect our precious habitats and wildlife. Ross Hoddinott reveals how to be an ethical photographer
PHOTOGRAPHY SPECIAL: ETHICS
Sometimes we need to be reminded that landscape and nature photography is not an ‘at all costs’ pursuit. Photographers have a responsibility to always place the wellbeing of their subjects and the environment above the desire to take a prize-winning photo.
As photographers, we are in the privileged position where we can showcase the Earth’s beauty to others and highlight the plight or importance of nature. Photography is not just a creative outlet – it can play a key role in conservation, too. But to do that, we must capture our photographs responsibly and ethically – there are boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed.
Picture-taking is more popular than ever. Digital capture has created an upsurge in nature photography, and thanks to the quality of camera phones, great shots are now within everyone’s grasp. But social media has changed photography. The burning desire to capture original, standout images that will attract likes, comments and shares can lead photographers to act compulsively and irresponsibly. For example, I have watched photographers defiantly walk into a carpet of bluebells to achieve a better viewpoint, ignoring footpaths and trashing flowers in the process. It is the same with poppy fields, where some photographers will make their own paths through swathes of blooms to ‘get the shot’. In fact, at a poppy field close to me, which the National Trust cares for, signs were put up and the entire area was cordoned-off this summer to prevent flowers from being destroyed. This shouldn’t be necessary, and it spoils everyone’s enjoyment.
AVOID HARMING HABITATS
It is easy to forget that trampling things such as wildflowers can have long-lasting effects – they won’t always grow back successfully the following year. Habitats are delicate places. I recently visited a local nature reserve where, the week before, I had seen a crew filming silver-washed fritillary butterflies for a documentary. They had completely flattened a large area of vegetation and knapweed in pursuit of their footage. Although it is obviously impossible not to do any harm at all when walking in nature, exploring a reserve, or wandering through a meadow, for me the key word is intent. We should all be trying to minimise our impact, avoiding deliberate damage or disturbance.
A lot of unethical behaviour isn��
