June 6, 2014
Swift Fox Kits Playing, Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado, and That Jerk And How To Stop Him

The Swift Foxes (Vulpes velox) at the den where we've been photographing in the Pawnee National Grassland are continuing to get more comfortable with us which means we get to photograph more and more interesting behavior. The kits have really started to play with each other which is really fun to watch and photograph.

That Jerk And How To Stop Him

If you're a nature photographer, and in particular a wildlife photographer, you've probably had the unpleasant experience of being in the midst of photographing a great situation and then some jerk comes along and ruins your opportunity. I had my first real experience with such a jerk about eight years ago when I was on a photography tour. A photographer was sitting along the shore waiting for an oystercatcher to approach and come within shooting distance. A second photographer saw that the oystercatcher was walking towards the first photographer and set up at a respectable distance from the first photographer so as not to spook the subject. The subject stopped approaching and started walking away. After a while, both photographers left, and the second photographer never got a shot of the oystercatcher. Later at a group gathering, the tour leader explained that it's poor form to approach a sensitive or skittish subject when another photographer is in position to shoot because you don't know what the first photographer has had to do or how long the first photographer has had to wait in order to get a shot. When faced with such a situation, the tour leader said, it's good practice to ask the first photographer for permission to approach.

I had another experience with a jerk yesterday evening after I made the image above. The vixen was outside nursing the kits, a very sensitive situation for the very skittish vixen, and a vehicle stopped on the road near the den. A guy got out and hastily set up his camera equipment then walked quickly towards our position so that he could "get the shot" before it got away. Of course, the vixen became very nervous and before he got to our position all of the foxes had retreated to the safety of the den. He did not "get the shot." Plus, the kits dinner had been cut short as had our great photo op. After about an hour, the vixen came out very cautiously and rested near the den. The new photographer was quite excited about the new opportunity, but I was waiting for her to relax and call out the kits. While she did relax, the kits did not come out again before the sun set about half an hour after she had come back out. I didn't take a single shot after the new photographer sat down near us.

During that hour and a half of sitting there after the jerk arrived, my thoughts about him changed considerably. When the jerk first set up and stormed out towards us, I wanted to hit him over the head with his long lens. As I sat there quite annoyed by the interruption, I recalled my experience eight years ago and thought about talking with him to suggest a better way to behave around a skittish subject or a sensitive situation. Fortunately, by the time we were all back at our vehicles, I was quite calm and felt that I could talk with the new photographer without whacking him over the head. When I went over to talk with him, he was apologetic and we had a nice chat. I'm fairly certain he will behave differently next time.

I mentioned this encounter at the den on my personal Facebook page last night, and another photographer wished that all new photographers were given ethics training before they were unleashed into the wild. That would be great but it'll never happen. What will happen is that new photographers will encounter other photographers in the field and learn how to behave based on the more experienced photographers' behavior. So in a sense, all of us nature photographers are responsible for educating new photographers. Some of that education can be done by setting a good example. For example, by not jumping out of the car and running towards an animal to "get the shot." Or, by slowly backing away from a subject when the subject becomes stressed and even leaving completely if the subject remains stressed. Some of that education can be done by coordinating with another photographer during a shoot. For example, if you have been in close proximity to another photographer for a while and the subject seems relaxed, you can ask the other photographer if she would like to move up closer or maybe to a different location where there might be a cleaner shot. Coordination is good because two photographers moving together is generally less stressful for an animal than two photographers splitting up to surround a subject. Plus, the other photographer will learn that it's a good idea to coordinate, and will likely do the same with other photographers in the future. Some of that education can be done after the photography has finished by having a nice conversation to suggest a better way to handle a particular situation in the future. But remember, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, so be cordial and refrain from giving him a dope slap (even though the jerk deserved one).

Oh, in that story about the oystercatcher eight years ago, I was the jerk. I thought I was keeping a respectable distance, but in fact I didn't really know what a respectable distance was for that subject. As the tour leader explained, it would have been better to ask the first photographer for permission to approach because that first photographer knew that particular subject better than I did.

I was going to title this section "Wildlife Photographer Ethics and Conduct," but you probably would have stopped reading right there. Since you've made it this far, I hope I've given you something to think about. If you're a nature photographer, I'm going to ask you to get back out there and make great images. And be a good teacher too, because you will influence other photographers. I'd rather not run into any more jerks, and you probably don't either.