Animal behaviour limits in wildlife photography

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Doomrider74

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Is there any animal behaviour you would deem to be off-limits for wildlife photography? I'm not talking about stuff that just doesn't make a good photograph, but wild behaviour that you don't think should be captured and shared at all. I also don't want to include human intervention-related examples eg Cruelty, zoos etc as they're a given, in my opinion.

Sorry if this is a silly question but I'm still finding my way in the world of wildlife photography.
 
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Nothing is off limits for me. I'm fine capturing mating and predation. I mostly shoot birds so nothing is too graphic. I think if you are capturing graphic predation photos it may be wise to but a disclaimer on them if posting to a forum as some don't want to see it.

The only time I take a step back is if I feel my presence is affecting the bird's behavior. I'm always extra mindful of this around nests. Nests are certainly where I'd take the most caution and possibly limit my time at them.
 
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Doomrider74 said:
Is there any animal behaviour you would deem to be off-limits for wildlife photography? I'm not talking about stuff that just doesn't make a good photograph, but wild behaviour that you don't think should be captured and shared at all. I also don't want to include human intervention-related examples eg Cruelty, zoos etc as they're a given, in my opinion.

Sorry if this is a silly question but I'm still finding my way in the world of wildlife photography.
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It really depends on how you'll use your photos for instance whether you're more interested in pleasant, perhaps emotional shots for wall prints or web sharing or perhaps using images to illustrate a natural history article or other more technical uses.

Personally I don't try to capture nor generally keep images of animals defecating though others find these humorous. If I was supporting a biologist writing about all life history aspects of various wildlife subjects perhaps these images would tell an interesting part of the story but for most of my uses I generally avoid these kinds of images. I also don't go out of my way to shoot mating images though in some species like some birds these can create interesting images and again if needed to illustrate life history behaviors these could be useful.

But more general living, foraging, eating, interacting, rearing the young and other shots are all things that I've found uses for over the years though it varies by species.

It's really up to you to decide what kind of images you want to capture and how you want to use such images as long as the act of capturing them don't put you or your subjects at risk. For instance, it's a good idea to be careful with nest photography which can sometimes be safely done at good working distances but over the years has been abused by some photographers (for instance cutting back foliage to get clear photos of small nesting birds at close range or beating a trail to a nest that other people or predators can follow putting the nest at risk or staying near a nest for long periods when the parents are clearly disturbed and leave the nest and young unprotected).

I'd start by looking at a lot of wildlife photos and identify what you really like, what motivates you and think about what kind of behaviors you'd like to capture in your own images.
 
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I agree about nests, but that's not really what I'm talking about: exclude our presence for the purposes of this conversation. The predation thing is a good example, and one that some might think is emotive and powerful, whereas others might think it to be bad taste.
 
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As long as it is natural behavior for the creature I do not see a problem capturing in camera. I will refrain from posting images of mammalian intercourse on most social media sites such as my own Facebook Group. Others have posted but I try to refrain. Now, as DR Wyoming said above, I will include those images if the topic is reproduction or life cycle. I think some images just need context.

I don't take photos of human induced panic, animals in traps or hit by cars or hunting / fishing trophies. I love to fish and spent most of my life as a hunter but I don't think the photos of the kill are appropriate wildlife photos. I have photographed animals in zoos and rehab facilities but I always call out these were not truly wild animals free to come and go as they please.

Ok, sorry, kind of rambling here. To the OP's question, I see no reason to avoid photographing any natural behavior. Nature is neither cruel nor kind. Nature just "is." I do use discretion where and how I share photos that may be sensitive to some folks and I try to provide context when I do share those photos.

Jeff
[edited to correct misspelling typos.]
 
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I photograph everything and have used photos of road-killed mammals, birds and reptiles on my blog to illustrate the toll that roads and vehicles take on wildlife. Beyond that, any natural behavior is fair game for a photo -- whether or not it's ever used depends on circumstances, but I keep the image.
 
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Perhaps, it would be good to ask what would you photograph instead of what behaviour not to photograph.

You may laugh but the pose of the animal and its looking is as important for animals as for humans. So, it is important to have an eye-contact with an animal (or a bird), it is good when it is looking at you (interrupting eating, or posing for portrait, not standing with its back or rear end to you, not flying away ..) It is good if animal looks good and healthy unless you do a reportage about animal deseases. It is good if you take pictures on the animal eye-level.
If there is a group of animals then it would be good if they are separated from each other, make some pattern like a line or other geometrical figure (triagle, etc). All other rules of composition also apply.
It is not my ruls or only my opinion but I heard it from award-winning wildlife photographers.
So, beside of some kind of action or interaction they pay attention on the light and composition. So, for example, mating leopards full of emotions during sunset on the perfect background (bokeh) making an excellent composition (pose)
Well... I would be happy to see some mating leopard at alll .. 😅
 
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ElenaH said:
Perhaps, it would be good to ask what would you photograph instead of what behaviour not to photograph.

You may laugh but the pose of the animal and its looking is as important for animals as for humans. So, it is important to have an eye-contact with an animal (or a bird), it is good when it is looking at you (interrupting eating, or posing for portrait, not standing with its back or rear end to you, not flying away ..) It is good if animal looks good and healthy unless you do a reportage about animal deseases. It is good if you take pictures on the animal eye-level.
If there is a group of animals then it would be good if they are separated from each other, make some pattern like a line or other geometrical figure (triagle, etc). All other rules of composition also apply.
It is not my ruls or only my opinion but I heard it from award-winning wildlife photographers.
So, beside of some kind of action or interaction they pay attention on the light and composition. So, for example, mating leopards full of emotions during sunset on the perfect background (bokeh) making an excellent composition (pose)
Well... I would be happy to see some mating leopard at alll .. 😅
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Not trying to hijack the thread. I think this does play into what the OP was asking.

I agree with what you are saying. Those photos where there is implied interaction between the animal and the photographer / viewer are the most compelling. I find the dichotomy between what makes a compelling photo and the desire to not cause the animal to change its behavior in any way is always an interesting struggle with wildlife photography and wildlife photographers. There have been numerous threads here and in other forums talking about what makes a great wildlife photo and Steve has written books about it. Also, there have been numerous discussions about "ethics" where the line of reasoning usually runs to it is never OK to do anything to alter the animal's behavior for a shot.

What we're finding in the "what would you not photograph" discussion is similar to what we've seen in all the "ethics" and "what makes a great shot" discussions and that is each photographer has their own limits and their own thoughts on what is appropriate. Also, we all have our own hypocrisy. For example, I would never kill or freeze an insect just to get a focus stacked macro image. However, if a mosquito is crawling on my arm, I have no second thoughts about assisting it in the trip to the great beyond.

Jeff
 
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Some animals, in the normal course of their lives, do things that can upset humans because of our own moral compass.
Generally, I think posting a photo of an animal doing something natural to their behaviour, even if it's upsetting to us humans, will probably be acceptable if posted in this forum. We are all adults, so my experiences to date lead me to expect mature behaviour from the folks here on BCG.

Having said that, I once saw a video posted years ago by a wildlife photographer that still upsets me to this day. Not the photographer's fault, it was rather the animal's behaviour that I found completely repulsive, and if I had been there at that time I would probably have intervened in a pretty nasty way. The video was of an African baboon that had caught a small antelope. Having torn open the belly of the antelope, the baboon was sitting down on the ground while with one hand it was holding on to the antelope, it was reaching inside the antelope with the other hand and pulling out parts of intestine and eating it while the buck was still alive. That behaviour to me was just repulsive and unnatural. I don't think I would have allowed that if I had been there at the time, natural world or not.

I refrain from posting an image or video that upsets me like that since I don't want to post something that is likely to stir up a negative reaction in people on this forum, since I'm a guest here and I want people to be friendly to me instead of angering them. Plus, we don't want people here to start hating baboons....
 
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Rassie said:
Some animals, in the normal course of their lives, do things that can upset humans because of our own moral compass.
Generally, I think posting a photo of an animal doing something natural to their behaviour, even if it's upsetting to us humans, will probably be acceptable if posted in this forum. We are all adults, so my experiences to date lead me to expect mature behaviour from the folks here on BCG.

Having said that, I once saw a video posted years ago by a wildlife photographer that still upsets me to this day. Not the photographer's fault, it was rather the animal's behaviour that I found completely repulsive, and if I had been there at that time I would probably have intervened in a pretty nasty way. The video was of an African baboon that had caught a small antelope. Having torn open the belly of the antelope, the baboon was sitting down on the ground while with one hand it was holding on to the antelope, it was reaching inside the antelope with the other hand and pulling out parts of intestine and eating it while the buck was still alive. That behaviour to me was just repulsive and unnatural. I don't think I would have allowed that if I had been there at the time, natural world or not.

I refrain from posting an image or video that upsets me like that since I don't want to post something that is likely to stir up a negative reaction in people on this forum, since I'm a guest here and I want people to be friendly to me instead of angering them. Plus, we don't want people here to start hating baboons....
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Yeah, that would upset me, too. I doubt I'd even take out my camera for that.
 
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Only people abusing animals. Many decades ago when there were only 3 B&W TV channels my family used to watch an outdoor / hunting weekend show. On one of the episodes, 2 guys took down a full grown elephant with 44 magnum pistols. They showed the whole thing. I was absolutely horrified. I have hunted deer, pig, and turkey, so I have no problem with hunting and do my best for a quick humane kill, but they tortured that animal. Things like that should never be done and video or photos of it should never be shown.
 
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raptor photo said:
Are you sure the 100-400 Olympus isn't better than the 300 f/4?
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Rassie said:
Some animals, in the normal course of their lives, do things that can upset humans because of our own moral compass.
Generally, I think posting a photo of an animal doing something natural to their behaviour, even if it's upsetting to us humans, will probably be acceptable if posted in this forum. We are all adults, so my experiences to date lead me to expect mature behaviour from the folks here on BCG.

Having said that, I once saw a video posted years ago by a wildlife photographer that still upsets me to this day. Not the photographer's fault, it was rather the animal's behaviour that I found completely repulsive, and if I had been there at that time I would probably have intervened in a pretty nasty way. The video was of an African baboon that had caught a small antelope. Having torn open the belly of the antelope, the baboon was sitting down on the ground while with one hand it was holding on to the antelope, it was reaching inside the antelope with the other hand and pulling out parts of intestine and eating it while the buck was still alive. That behaviour to me was just repulsive and unnatural. I don't think I would have allowed that if I had been there at the time, natural world or not.

I refrain from posting an image or video that upsets me like that since I don't want to post something that is likely to stir up a negative reaction in people on this forum, since I'm a guest here and I want people to be friendly to me instead of angering them. Plus, we don't want people here to start hating baboons....
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I think you'd find that many predators began feeding on their prey while it's still alive (wolves with deer, elk or bison; lions with antelope or buffalo and many others) other predators injure their prey and use the crippled prey to teach their offspring to hunt. Wild creatures do what they do to survive, humans supposedly have a set of morals regarding killing -- although those rules often seems honored in the breach rater than in practice.
 
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I'll photograph an animal doing anything. Digital is free. Now, I won't SHARE photographs that I don't like, so I usually don't post-process or post on forums or social media photos of animals pooping or peeing, but I'll shoot it.
 
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In general, almost anything is fair game for a photo. Probably where I draw the line is based on what is not seen in the photo - if people are in a crowd that is too large or getting too close to an animal, I stop photographing and leave.

My general approach is I want to present animals and people in a favorable light. I do some photography for a rescue that specializes in German shepherds. The photos are intended to capture the best look of the subject. That means I don't ever show them pulling on a lead, jumping or misbehaving, or with a choke collar or prong collar. I don't want the tongue hanging out on hot days - a possible indication that the dog is hard to handle. I look for a standard shot in a set that demonstrates control or training. I do photograph abused or maimed dogs for the rescue's use to raise funds for care of the animal - and I've seen some awful stuff.

I take a similar approach with equestrian photos. I avoid photos showing a rider struggling with their horse. I photograph riders falling off - because the riders generally like them if they walk away unharmed. But I won't show anything that presents the horse, rider or hounds misbehaving or in an inappropriate manner.
 
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In my earlier post, I failed to mention sick or dying animals. Last summer Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease was raging through our local deer herds. I took some shots of an obviously infected and very sick little buck. I couldn't bring myself to post the photos and ended up deleting them. I did post about the disease on my Facebook local wildlife group. I asked folks to report to DNR or Park Rangers if they saw a sick deer. The disease isn't necessarily contagious between deer, it spreads from a bite from a midge (type of insect that lives around water). However, when Midges bite an infected deer they can easily spread it to healthy deer. Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) is almost always fatal to the deer. We lost thousands in our county. Of course, once the spread (Epizootic) stops probably this year, the herd will come back healthier and stronger.
OK, rabbit hole, sorry. I just wanted to say I don't like to photograph and share images of obviously sick animals unless there would be some benefit (awareness, avoidance, whatever). In the case of the deer, anyone who lives around here and spends anytime at all outdoors with wildlife is familiar with the disease and symptoms. Nobody needed to see a photo.

Jeff
 
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I risk ridicule here, but so what? I am unabashedly an overgrown kid watching Disney cartoons when it comes to wildlife. In my little imaginary world, the animals and birds are all happy and they get along and love one another, like in "Snow White" or "Cinderella." I am not stupid and I understand the realities of the "circle of life," i.e., I know and accept that predation, sickness, suffering, and death are all part of the Great Pageant, but I don't particularly want to see these things, let alone photograph them. I love watching little videos (as on social media) showing people rescuing animals or otherwise exhibiting kindness. I don't even like to watch predation sequences on "Nature" type television presentations. I have been on group trips where everyone else was clicking away at the sight of a heron trying to swallow a snake or a falcon snatching and then plucking a pigeon, and I just turn away and look for something else to photograph.
 
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GrandNagus50 said:
I risk ridicule here, but so what? I am unabashedly an overgrown kid watching Disney cartoons when it comes to wildlife. In my little imaginary world, the animals and birds are all happy and they get along and love one another, like in "Snow White" or "Cinderella." I am not stupid and I understand the realities of the "circle of life," i.e., I know and accept that predation, sickness, suffering, and death are all part of the Great Pageant, but I don't particularly want to see these things, let alone photograph them. I love watching little videos (as on social media) showing people rescuing animals or otherwise exhibiting kindness. I don't even like to watch predation sequences on "Nature" type television presentations. I have been on group trips where everyone else was clicking away at the sight of a heron trying to swallow a snake or a falcon snatching and then plucking a pigeon, and I just turn away and look for something else to photograph.
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I dont think you're alone: For one, I'm a bit like you in that my eyes are wide open to the harsh realities, but its not something I want to capture in my photos or experiences. There's enough cruelty amongst humans for many many lifetimes.
 
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RikWriter said:
I'll photograph an animal doing anything. Digital is free. Now, I won't SHARE photographs that I don't like, so I usually don't post-process or post on forums or social media photos of animals pooping or peeing, but I'll shoot it.
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I once got a few pictures of a male lion in South Africa marking his territory. It’s amazing to see the jet of fluid shooting out of the animal at the back. That is so unique I wouldn’t hesitate to take that picture again.

Another time I got pictures of a male lion multi-tasking. He was lying on his side. Just lazing away the time. While licking and cleaning his front paws he lifted a hind leg and took a long pee at the same time. That was quite comical and the pictures show it.
 
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GrandNagus50 said:
I risk ridicule here, but so what? I am unabashedly an overgrown kid watching Disney cartoons when it comes to wildlife. In my little imaginary world, the animals and birds are all happy and they get along and love one another, like in "Snow White" or "Cinderella." I am not stupid and I understand the realities of the "circle of life," i.e., I know and accept that predation, sickness, suffering, and death are all part of the Great Pageant, but I don't particularly want to see these things, let alone photograph them. I love watching little videos (as on social media) showing people rescuing animals or otherwise exhibiting kindness. I don't even like to watch predation sequences on "Nature" type television presentations. I have been on group trips where everyone else was clicking away at the sight of a heron trying to swallow a snake or a falcon snatching and then plucking a pigeon, and I just turn away and look for something else to photograph.
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why would you be ridiculed? There really is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the type of photographs one likes to view and shoot.
 
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GrandNagus50 said:
It has to do with being perceived as "soft." I have been in the company of photographers who seemed to find my attitude amusing.
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Interesting. I don't see it a matter of soft hearted vs. hard hearted. What I see is a personal style and personal preference in what a person enjoys to take photos of and what a person prefers to look at. I see no reason why someone would ridicule you or anyone else over this. To quote the late Jim Morrison: People are strange.

I certainly wouldn't (and won't) ridicule anyone for their choice in photographic subjects (as long as they are legal and moral.).
 
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