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Short answer, Yes it has, although latterly the camera has almost always been the camera as the instrument of choice. A privileged rearing in rural Africa has been equally essential in my professional life (ecologist, systematist, geologist) carrying out scientific surveys of biodiversity; these derived data are the quintessential foundation of informed decisions in conservation. Photography is integral to maximize the information on a museum specimen. Hence a big part of my photography has been and continues to be macro's. During my 14+ yrs employed as a curator of the largest scientific collections on the African continent, my film Nikons were recording every other day, and quite often photographing invertebrate for colleagues. (thanks be to the first digital cameras that cut costs vastly!)
To those who question my passion in obsessing about the natural world, I often quote the words of the well known doyen of wildlife management and conservation, Aldo Leopold, "A man may not care for golf and still be human, but the man who does not like to see, hunt, photograph, or otherwise outwit birds or animals is hardly normal. He is supercivilized, and I for one do not know how to deal with him. Babes do not tremble when they are shown a golf ball, but I should not like to own the boy whose hair does not lift his hat when he sees his first deer. We are dealing, therefore, with something that lies pretty deep."
Among his many, many icons of fine prose is his observation that " One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds. ...."
Many of Leopold quotes are scattered across the internet, but this is the best anthology
The Essential Aldo Leopold
For the first time, the most important quotations of the great conservationist Aldo Leopold, author of A Sand County Almanac, are gathered in one volume. From conservation education to wildlife ecology, from wilderness protection to soil and water conservation, the writings of Aldo Leopold...books.google.co.uk
I took the OP to mean us regular folks that grew up hunting and have taken up photography. Not to support a rich doctor flying around the world to kill a protected lion to feed his ego. Big difference.
yup ... I have switched to the camera only after years of waterfowl and upland bird hunting and now hunt with my camera. Between bird hunting and sporting clays I have probably shot over 500,000 flying targets. Even how I hold a camera and long lens comes from my hunting and target rifle and shotgun holding experience. I just do not use back button AF, tried it for a year but went back, since I want my thumb free to move my focus point, use my af/on button to lock metering etc. and using AFC (continuous auto focus) and using the shutter halfway down to focus is fast and simple for me and the real key is the AFC.It certainly has for me, and vice-versa as well. Finding and photographing small birds has really helped hone my spotting abilities, that I thought were pretty good in my hunting days.
Besides finding subjects to capture, the big advantage imo is putting shotgunning skills to use for BIF. Good shotgun technique has you swinging with the bird, starting from behind it. When your sights come upon the bird you squeeze the trigger while following through with the swinging motion.
I use the same process now, except when I get close to coming upon the bird from behind, I mash down the back-button (while using continuous focus, of course.) When I do get to the bird it instantly comes into focus and I start "shooting."
I would encourage anyone struggling with BIF to watch some tutorials about this process. It takes a bit of practice, but will increase your keeper rate over the "point and shoot" technique.
I don't hunt with a gun anymore; the camera is way more enjoyable for me and everyone goes home happy.
I hear ya on being in the woods with a bunch of fools ... our human population has exploded in Idaho and with the pandemic many newbies are taking to the hills and the regular in person hunter safety training has not been available recently ... so I am staying out of the woods today it is opening day of general deer season here in Idaho.
