Another excellent but as you said a little different video this week. One however I think a lot of wildlife photographers should watch. I have seen far too many times where photographers don't respect the bird or animal that they are trying to photograph. We often get a subject in our area that is not common and very quickly there is a mob of photographers trying to get the best image that they can get. I have seen photographers cut bush and branches to get a better view, I have seen them bring ladders to get a shot into a Hummingbirds nest and I have even seen photographers using bait to bring in Eagles, Owls and Hawks. No photograph is worth stressing out any wildlife. Thank you so much for taking the time to get this message out and I really hope it hits home to everyone that views this video. Thanks again for all that you do and have a wonderful week.
Thanks Keith, I always appreciate your input. Watching these Fox dens this spring was really eye opening for me. I've seen some pretty disrespectful photographers before, but this was a different level. It was a great reminder for me of all the education that needs to be done and a reminder to do better on my part to be as ethical as possible at all times. I appreciate your standard of ethics and all the constant support!
Thank you so much for highlighting how important it is to be aware of our impact on Nature and that no image is worth the stress of an animal. You're 100% on the money that if we keep the safety and comfort of Wildlife first, we will be presented with more opportunities to photograph more often. It's a matter of respect - we're coming into their living rooms, so to speak, and we need to be good guests. Love your videos, keep up the great work you're doing.
Thanks so much, I appreciate the input and feedback! There really is a pattern of increased wildlife opportunities when we increase our respect for said wildlife. I wish more people would look at the long-term and catch on to that pattern 🥴
Thanks a lot for being so mindful of the wellbeing of the animals. I think that setting an example for ethical wildlife photography is important as a reminder for those of us who already think that it's a key aspect of the activity (let's remember that we all have blind spots regarding our stressful behaviors). Unfortunately, this won't be noticed by those who most need to get the message. On the specific topic of foxes - but a different species - I have the feeling that many communities around Bakersfield have learned to be a lot more respectful of their San Joaquin kit foxes over the years. I guess that the hunt for clicks and likes faded away with the foxes getting more and more urbanized. This in turn gave more traction for local activist to educate the public.
Thanks for the input, it's always appreciated! I very much agree with you, I think if we try to be as ethical as possible in our photography, the example can go a long way. Positive examples combined with education are needed and as more people strive for ethics, more people will catch on. Again, I appreciate your input, and great example of the San Joaquin Kit Foxes!
I’ve had some foxes show up in my field this year. I’ve been real respectful to not bother them. I put trail cam up to see them. I’m trying to learn ways. I would like for them to stay or come back. I didn’t know they came out during the day so much. Your pictures and videos are amazing. Thanks for your thoughtful stewardship to the foxes.
Thanks so much for watching and for respecting those Foxes! Yeah, they'll come out more during the day this time of year when the kits are starting to grow and explore more. Unfortunately, one of the local dens here in town was not used again this year. I don't blame them considering how poorly they've been treated the last couple of years. I hope they found somewhere a little more quiet this year.
Thanks for raising awareness on this topic Jimmy! It’s a difficult situation when so many people are ignorant and really don’t know the impact they are having. It’s a completely different thing when you have those few really dumb people like the guy cutting the grass around the den🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️. Most people I’m sure are just trying to observe and enjoy nature and are fascinated like we all are by animals in the wild. Sadly they don’t understand what their actions may do. The more people that can educate others the better it will be! Thanks again for a great video!!!
Thanks for watching my friend! I couldn't agree with you more. It's hard because so many people just want to get out in and enjoy nature, but like you said they don't quite understand the impact their actions may have. I'm sure I've been guilty of the same thing from time to time. I really do think education and a solid example are some of the best ways to curb the effects of people loving nature to death.
This was a great conversation to start Jimmy. My thoughts on promoting ethical photography and protecting the animals: 1. Don't put locations on social media, consider not disclosing sensitive locations even via DMs. 2. Post stuff from months ago on social media, instead of what's happening right now. 3. Offer some commentary in social media posts that help people learn more about a species or situation to foster greater understanding. You do a great job in this video modeling that, at an even more in-depth level. There is more to it of course, but I put these 3 out there because I have seen an enormous explosion the number of people pursuing wildlife photography in the last 5 years or so and believe it is fueled by social media and cheaper telephoto zoom lenses. Most of the overcrowding seems to stem from the issues raised in the 3 points I included. Once I observed a ring of 40 photographers completely encircling a snowy owl, and it was all people who were connected through social media. Any yes, I have noticed red foxes tend to den near people. I think their need to avoid coyotes might be behind this. Our eastern coyotes are bigger than the western ones (with more wolf DNA) and are quite active here. I have witnessed coyotes bring down deer twice on my property! Hope you are having a good summer!
Thanks a bunch, John! I couldn't agree more with all that you said. I've seen so many places destroyed and wildlife negatively affected due to over sharing on social media. There's always the discussion that we're "gatekeeping" if we don't disclose locations, but by simply disclosing a location or even a general area, we can quickly flood those areas with photographers, many of which don't share the same respect for the location or wildlife. I appreciate your ethics and input regarding ethical wildlife observation and photography. Best of luck to you out there!
Wow, I can't believe someone had the audacity to mow around the den, what were they thinking! Like you I try to keep a respectful distance. Also when posting photos I try to keep the locations vague. In fact that is a rule in a lot of Facebook groups you can only mention what county the animal was found in. I don't like crowds so we sometimes pass them by or if they are too close when driving we won't stop for safety reasons. Well, I have to go try to identify a turtle I saw last night. I had to borrow my husbands phone to photograph it on our walk. I should know by now not to go anywhere without my camera, go figure! Have a great week~
Yeah, it was difficult to watch some of the happenings around that den this spring, but encouraging to watch the 2nd den. It helped me to remember to step up my own ethics game in my photography. Yes, we always seem to see more wildlife when we don't have our cameras with us 😆
Hi Jimmy, i'm happy that i can hear you again...😅 (see my comments about the audio on your two previous videos) but now there's no voice on the right, only music... again i don't see anyone mentioning it in the comments, but i'm listening with a headphone so maybe i'm the only one who notice it... ps. thanks for the great videos.🍻
Thanks so much for mentioning the audio issues, it helps me to realize when there's a problem on other devices that may not show up when I'm editing. I was testing out a new microphone and had to work out a few glitches 🤦♂️
Its sad to see dens like this or owl roosts get so overcrowded. A few months ago we had a group of 4 Short Eared Owls stop by close to the city, I cycled there the first 2 nights after work, and it was just me and 2-3 others silently enjoying them and waiting for them to fly before it got dark. It was nice and quiet, just relaxing and watching the owls hunt at sunset. Come Saturday im curious if they are still there and decide to head to the spot at around lunch, only to meet a group of 20 photographers, loudly talking, parking cars everywhere, one going into the field where they roost and flushing 2 birds. I left again in a matter of minutes. I don't want to keep nature from other enthusiast, however both the noise, and disrespect to the surroundings the large groups of people tend to have is sad to see. I do realize that I am also adding to the problem, and decided it was best to just leave and not return for the rest of the time the owls stayed in that spot.
Wow, that sounds like an awesome opportunity that quickly went awry. I've seen the same thing happen so many times, and it stinks every time. I'm impressed that you left so as not to add to the chaos, that can be hard to do and difficult to know how to navigate each of those situations. Thanks for your thoughts and feedback, I appreciate it 😊
I can't help but feel that the insatiable appetite for people to gain 'likes' on social media platforms is driving the pursuit of getting images at any cost mentality. Whenever I locate any subject worth photographing I keep that knowledge to myself. Not only do I not put the images on social media I rarely mention the location to other photographers. This may appear selfish (and to some extent it is) but you can guarantee that no matter how many well behaved, ethical people visit the location there will always be a larger number of idiots! These '5 minute wonders' with the latest and greatest gear, are usually either too lazy or too stupid to locate wildlife for themselves. These are the people who rarely have any morals around wildlife and who rely on others to do the graft for them. The only good thing about them is that they will inevitably get bored quickly and hopefully move on to some other kind of hobby. Rant over 😁
Thanks for the input Robert, I always appreciate your point of view and I couldn't agree more. I don't think it's selfish at all not disclosing locations. Some people call it "gatekeeping" or whatever, but there are a lot of reasons not to share locations. I've seen many areas literally destroyed and the wildlife pushed out because it gets over shared and overrun by photographers. It's hard on the wildlife and too many people rely on others' efforts to locate animals. Alright, my rant is over, haha. Moral of the story, wildlife needs to come first. Thanks again Robert, I hope you're well!
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Another excellent but as you said a little different video this week. One however I think a lot of wildlife photographers should watch. I have seen far too many times where photographers don't respect the bird or animal that they are trying to photograph. We often get a subject in our area that is not common and very quickly there is a mob of photographers trying to get the best image that they can get. I have seen photographers cut bush and branches to get a better view, I have seen them bring ladders to get a shot into a Hummingbirds nest and I have even seen photographers using bait to bring in Eagles, Owls and Hawks. No photograph is worth stressing out any wildlife. Thank you so much for taking the time to get this message out and I really hope it hits home to everyone that views this video. Thanks again for all that you do and have a wonderful week.
Thanks Keith, I always appreciate your input. Watching these Fox dens this spring was really eye opening for me. I've seen some pretty disrespectful photographers before, but this was a different level. It was a great reminder for me of all the education that needs to be done and a reminder to do better on my part to be as ethical as possible at all times. I appreciate your standard of ethics and all the constant support!
Thank you so much for highlighting how important it is to be aware of our impact on Nature and that no image is worth the stress of an animal. You're 100% on the money that if we keep the safety and comfort of Wildlife first, we will be presented with more opportunities to photograph more often. It's a matter of respect - we're coming into their living rooms, so to speak, and we need to be good guests. Love your videos, keep up the great work you're doing.
Thanks so much, I appreciate the input and feedback! There really is a pattern of increased wildlife opportunities when we increase our respect for said wildlife. I wish more people would look at the long-term and catch on to that pattern 🥴
Thanks a lot for being so mindful of the wellbeing of the animals. I think that setting an example for ethical wildlife photography is important as a reminder for those of us who already think that it's a key aspect of the activity (let's remember that we all have blind spots regarding our stressful behaviors). Unfortunately, this won't be noticed by those who most need to get the message. On the specific topic of foxes - but a different species - I have the feeling that many communities around Bakersfield have learned to be a lot more respectful of their San Joaquin kit foxes over the years. I guess that the hunt for clicks and likes faded away with the foxes getting more and more urbanized. This in turn gave more traction for local activist to educate the public.
Thanks for the input, it's always appreciated! I very much agree with you, I think if we try to be as ethical as possible in our photography, the example can go a long way. Positive examples combined with education are needed and as more people strive for ethics, more people will catch on. Again, I appreciate your input, and great example of the San Joaquin Kit Foxes!
I’ve had some foxes show up in my field this year. I’ve been real respectful to not bother them. I put trail cam up to see them. I’m trying to learn ways. I would like for them to stay or come back. I didn’t know they came out during the day so much. Your pictures and videos are amazing. Thanks for your thoughtful stewardship to the foxes.
Thanks so much for watching and for respecting those Foxes! Yeah, they'll come out more during the day this time of year when the kits are starting to grow and explore more. Unfortunately, one of the local dens here in town was not used again this year. I don't blame them considering how poorly they've been treated the last couple of years. I hope they found somewhere a little more quiet this year.
Thanks for raising awareness on this topic Jimmy! It’s a difficult situation when so many people are ignorant and really don’t know the impact they are having. It’s a completely different thing when you have those few really dumb people like the guy cutting the grass around the den🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️. Most people I’m sure are just trying to observe and enjoy nature and are fascinated like we all are by animals in the wild. Sadly they don’t understand what their actions may do. The more people that can educate others the better it will be! Thanks again for a great video!!!
Thanks for watching my friend! I couldn't agree with you more. It's hard because so many people just want to get out in and enjoy nature, but like you said they don't quite understand the impact their actions may have. I'm sure I've been guilty of the same thing from time to time. I really do think education and a solid example are some of the best ways to curb the effects of people loving nature to death.
This was a great conversation to start Jimmy.
My thoughts on promoting ethical photography and protecting the animals:
1. Don't put locations on social media, consider not disclosing sensitive locations even via DMs.
2. Post stuff from months ago on social media, instead of what's happening right now.
3. Offer some commentary in social media posts that help people learn more about a species or situation to foster greater understanding. You do a great job in this video modeling that, at an even more in-depth level.
There is more to it of course, but I put these 3 out there because I have seen an enormous explosion the number of people pursuing wildlife photography in the last 5 years or so and believe it is fueled by social media and cheaper telephoto zoom lenses. Most of the overcrowding seems to stem from the issues raised in the 3 points I included. Once I observed a ring of 40 photographers completely encircling a snowy owl, and it was all people who were connected through social media.
Any yes, I have noticed red foxes tend to den near people. I think their need to avoid coyotes might be behind this. Our eastern coyotes are bigger than the western ones (with more wolf DNA) and are quite active here. I have witnessed coyotes bring down deer twice on my property!
Hope you are having a good summer!
Thanks a bunch, John! I couldn't agree more with all that you said. I've seen so many places destroyed and wildlife negatively affected due to over sharing on social media. There's always the discussion that we're "gatekeeping" if we don't disclose locations, but by simply disclosing a location or even a general area, we can quickly flood those areas with photographers, many of which don't share the same respect for the location or wildlife. I appreciate your ethics and input regarding ethical wildlife observation and photography. Best of luck to you out there!
Merci Jimmy, Belles photos.
Thank you so much 😊
Wow, I can't believe someone had the audacity to mow around the den, what were they thinking! Like you I try to keep a respectful distance. Also when posting photos I try to keep the locations vague. In fact that is a rule in a lot of Facebook groups you can only mention what county the animal was found in. I don't like crowds so we sometimes pass them by or if they are too close when driving we won't stop for safety reasons. Well, I have to go try to identify a turtle I saw last night. I had to borrow my husbands phone to photograph it on our walk. I should know by now not to go anywhere without my camera, go figure! Have a great week~
Yeah, it was difficult to watch some of the happenings around that den this spring, but encouraging to watch the 2nd den. It helped me to remember to step up my own ethics game in my photography.
Yes, we always seem to see more wildlife when we don't have our cameras with us 😆
Hi Jimmy, i'm happy that i can hear you again...😅 (see my comments about the audio on your two previous videos) but now there's no voice on the right, only music... again i don't see anyone mentioning it in the comments, but i'm listening with a headphone so maybe i'm the only one who notice it... ps. thanks for the great videos.🍻
Thanks so much for mentioning the audio issues, it helps me to realize when there's a problem on other devices that may not show up when I'm editing. I was testing out a new microphone and had to work out a few glitches 🤦♂️
Its sad to see dens like this or owl roosts get so overcrowded. A few months ago we had a group of 4 Short Eared Owls stop by close to the city, I cycled there the first 2 nights after work, and it was just me and 2-3 others silently enjoying them and waiting for them to fly before it got dark. It was nice and quiet, just relaxing and watching the owls hunt at sunset.
Come Saturday im curious if they are still there and decide to head to the spot at around lunch, only to meet a group of 20 photographers, loudly talking, parking cars everywhere, one going into the field where they roost and flushing 2 birds. I left again in a matter of minutes. I don't want to keep nature from other enthusiast, however both the noise, and disrespect to the surroundings the large groups of people tend to have is sad to see. I do realize that I am also adding to the problem, and decided it was best to just leave and not return for the rest of the time the owls stayed in that spot.
Wow, that sounds like an awesome opportunity that quickly went awry. I've seen the same thing happen so many times, and it stinks every time. I'm impressed that you left so as not to add to the chaos, that can be hard to do and difficult to know how to navigate each of those situations. Thanks for your thoughts and feedback, I appreciate it 😊
🦊
I can't help but feel that the insatiable appetite for people to gain 'likes' on social media platforms is driving the pursuit of getting images at any cost mentality.
Whenever I locate any subject worth photographing I keep that knowledge to myself. Not only do I not put the images on social media I rarely mention the location to other photographers. This may appear selfish (and to some extent it is) but you can guarantee that no matter how many well behaved, ethical people visit the location there will always be a larger number of idiots! These '5 minute wonders' with the latest and greatest gear, are usually either too lazy or too stupid to locate wildlife for themselves. These are the people who rarely have any morals around wildlife and who rely on others to do the graft for them. The only good thing about them is that they will inevitably get bored quickly and hopefully move on to some other kind of hobby.
Rant over 😁
Thanks for the input Robert, I always appreciate your point of view and I couldn't agree more. I don't think it's selfish at all not disclosing locations. Some people call it "gatekeeping" or whatever, but there are a lot of reasons not to share locations. I've seen many areas literally destroyed and the wildlife pushed out because it gets over shared and overrun by photographers. It's hard on the wildlife and too many people rely on others' efforts to locate animals. Alright, my rant is over, haha. Moral of the story, wildlife needs to come first. Thanks again Robert, I hope you're well!