Photographing wildlife: Is a staged photo OK?

Let me start this blog post by saying this: This post about staged photos is going to stir up a lot of emotions (on both sides), but I am writing this for three reasons:

* To respond to a recent blog comment from a guy named Mike
* To open up a conversation amongst all of us
* To express my opinion on this controversial topic

Here is the comment: 

"Are you kidding me, Jeff? Are you seriously promoting a Namibia tour where the guide is digging wildlife out of a sand dune and throwing it on the ground for tourists like your self to photograph? Promoting someone that is baiting birds and reptiles for 'wildlife photography'??? WTF happened to your standards? What would the IOC think of a 'professional' photographer that endorses this kind of eco destructive tourism? 

Jeff, I have respected you, your business, your photography, and your intellect for years. I have referred innumerable people to your site as a reliable and reputable source for photography knowledge, but no more. This is inexcusable. This is a horrifying approach to what you think of as wildlife photography. It completely discredits every wildlife shoot you have ever done in the past as nothing more than a staged photo op"

I did respond to this person, but over the last 48 hours, it has really gotten me thinking about the subject. I don't fault him for expressing his opinions. Actually, I am glad that he did and that it inspired me to think about this more and address it here. I welcome his thoughts on the subject, as I do with all of you, and I fully respect him taking the time to air his concerns. 

To address some of his points:

* The guide who was finding these reptiles in Namibia was doing this to educate us on the fragility of the environment and showing us the ecosystem that exists in the Namibian dunes - his homeland where he has been studying this ecosystem for over 50 years. He never moved the animals from the wild and always made sure to respect them. He would show them to us, allowing us to capture photos, and then let them return to their environment. Not only would he teach us about the wildlife, but he made it a point to stop any time he saw any litter on the dunes, and grab that and put it in his garbage bag. The chameleon that you see below was exactly where the guide found him in the wild. The guide did throw the bugs out for the chameleon to eat (allowing us to get shots like this), but that was fully disclosed in my blog post. 

* I don't think that the IOC (International Olympic Committee) would care about my wildlife photography at all. Trust me, they are not looking at every Olympic photographer and scrutinizing our work. But I would be honored if they cared that much about me and my work.

* I do think that it is overly harsh, discounting all of my work, for a small selection of images, but it is his right to think what he wants. 

* I appreciate the referral of others to my blog and sincerely hope that I have not lost all integrity.

* And now for the most important point, the credibility of wildlife photography. Almost all of the wildlife photography that is in my portfolio, posted on the blog, and taken on our photo tours is completely in the wild. But there are times when we capture photos of wildlife that are in more controlled environments. 

Here are some samples:

In the rain forest of Costa Rica, I always have a half day when the people on my photo tours photograph snakes and frogs that are handled by a native. The snakes are being studied by scientists and the tree frogs are gathered on the property, brought close to us, and then let go right away. They are in their environment and not baited. Does this count as real wildlife photography? I think it does. It is also a great way to photograph these amazing animals, up close and personal, but in a non evasive manor. It allows us to share the beauty with others and hopefully inspire future generations to see it for themselves.

We also visit a butterfly house which has many species of butterflies in a large netted space. Once again, these butterflies are being studied by scientists and not harmed in any way. 

These giraffe were obviously photographed in the Sydney Zoo. That is made obvious by the background. Is this wildlife? No...this is a zoo shot. After doing many safaris and trips to the rain forest, I actually find zoos to be more "invasive" and "destructive" since the animals are kept in such small spaces. Does it make the whole idea of a zoo wrong? I have mixed feelings about that.

I took this photo of an eagle more than 12 years ago. It was in a rehabilitation center in Alaska where it was being cared for. By taking this photo and having it in my collection,  does that mean that I am a bad person or promoting the destruction of the species? I don't think so. But, with that said, I think it is important to tell people that this was not taken in the wild. I always have.

On our first day in Namibia (which is normally a down day for people to get time adjusted), we decided to take the group to a local animal reserve to get photos of big cats and other animals. This cheetah had only three legs and was rescued by the staff. If it weren't for the staff of the reserve, this animal would be dead for sure.

Paying to enter the reserve helps pay for the care of these animals. It also gave the photo tour attendees a chance to practice their photography in a controlled environment prior to us going out in the wild.

At our last lodge in Namibia, they had their own private reserve and fed all types of animals, including rhino, zebra, giraffe and more. This allowed us to get very close to the animals for tight shots like the one above. If I had blogged these as "in the wild" photos, I agree that this would be wrong.

My opinion

I love photographing animals, and started by doing so at the San Francisco zoo. I, like most people in the world, did not have easy access to them in the wild (unless you count squirrels and seagulls). It wasn't until 3 years ago that I started making annual trips to Africa. I don't see anything wrong with people photographing animals in any environment, provided that they are not doing ANY harm to the wildlife. As I said before, I do believe that, if a photo appears to be taken in the wild, it is the photographer's responsibility to disclose if a photo was taken with assistance. I am not a hunter because I could never take the life of another living thing. I prefer using my camera to capture the beauty of the wildlife in any way I can.

Other staged shots

As I dive deeper into the subject of staged shots, it makes me think of all the other photos I have seen that appear to be "real" but are staged. The first time I saw a night shot of an old asian fisherman on a river with his lantern and bird, I thought "wow, that is a great shot!" I was amazed that the guy captured this old fisherman with his lantern and even got a bird perched on the end of the boat. Now, after seeing the same shot of the fisherman on the Li river in Guilin from countless photographers, I know that this is a setup shot. The old fisherman makes himself available to photographers all the time, for a fee of course. Does this lessen the impact of the shot for me? It actually does. I now look at the photo and think, "there is that same guy again, in the same pose and with the same bird tied to the back of the boat." So, yes, staged shots are not the same as capturing the "real moments" in life, but they can still make for nice artwork on your wall.

Your thoughts?

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, I write this as an open to as larger conversation. I would love to hear from all of you, as to your thoughts on the subject. In the spirit of this blog, I would prefer to see constructive thoughts and expressions without any name calling and finger pointing.

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