To some degree, if it's "wild," it's wildlife photography. I suppose we could call it "non-wildlife wildlife" photography? This could be debated forever without any consensus so really it's all a moot point. Each of us decides what our type of shooting is and I may not agree with any one person about it. I photograph humming birds at my feeder, they are wild, it is wildlife photography, but I'm giving them enticement to be at that spot. Having said this, I have never photographed in a zoo because I don't like to see animals in that situation, it makes me sad for them. I have photographed at wildlife preserves and today, really, just about any place we find wildlife is a preserve of some sort, it's just called a national park instead. And, in the end, who really cares? If entering a contest follow the rules. If shooting for yourself to create art or to document an animal follow your rule. I would definitely agree that AI is not photography at all, period.
I love photographing hummingbirds but they are few and far between in my part of the world. We see them occasionally but we generally see more in the towns and city.
I live and farm in a rural area and the closest state park or wildlife sanctuary is at least 80 miles away. I often go to a oil leases with pastures and stock ponds and you can see a lot of wildlife there just by driving around or sitting by one of the stock ponds late in the evening. I have burrowing owls and prairie dogs within 50 yards of my front door and often see Coyotes, badgers and other mammals while out on the farm.
Reading posts on this forum about "Is this wildlife photography?" or the ethics in wildlife photography just blew my mind. Things that I have never thought about. I guess I have a totally different and unique perspective on wildlife photography than most. I don't often get to see the other side of the story.
I do enjoy going to National Parks, Wildlife Refuges and State Parks. So many things to see and photograph. One of my favorites is Bosque Del Apache in the winter.
Attached are three photos I took this morning and yesterday evening. These were taken as i was driving to fields and checking irrigation or this morning going to the oil lease and pastures. I added these photos to show what kind of things I see on a daily basis. I farm around 1500 acres of cotton and grain sorghum.
#1 A Bob White Quail sitting on an irrigation well in the oil lease. Took this one this morning as I was driving around the oil lease after checking water. I can't believe he didn't fly as he was only about 20 feet away. I was worried that i couldn't get the image due to minimum focus distance of the 500 pf on my Nikon Z9
#2. A burrowing owl coming in for a landing about 50 yards from my house. I took this photo at dusk from the seat of my truck as I was coming back home from checking the irrigation in the evening.
#3. This photo was taken on a gravel road going to my barn and where I keep my equipment.
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