How to be a Responsible Tourist and Wildlife Photographer
Done badly tourism can lead to irreversible exploitation of both the environment, local people & wildlife. Done well and carefully managed it can be a force for good, bringing financial revenue to an area, offering employment for local people, providing money to be invested into conservation and the local communities, ultimately offering a benefit for them to live alongside and conserve the wildlife and the natural world.
Responsible tourism is a mindset that we all need to adopt and not let the important messages be lost because it has more recently become a fashionable marketing buzz word. To us it is quite simply an awareness of how our actions and choices can and will impact the environment and those around us, both human and animal. It is about educating ourselves and then making a best decision on how we behave and where we invest our time and money to reduce our impact as much as possible or ideally to have a positive impact if we can.
We are often saddened when we read comments where it is claimed individuals can’t make a difference. This misses the simple truth that if a million individuals start doing something, ultimately we become a part of a movement rather than a lone voice, and that can have a massive impact. However to reach that point requires that each individual must first try and then not be discouraged by those who may dismiss your efforts and then most importantly we must not give up on what we believe.
Ensuring we are making responsible choices takes time and effort on our part. It will require researching thoroughly and making considered decisions in an effort to do the best you can. We all have the power to shape the future of our world through our choices and actions and particularly how we spend our money today, so we urge you to think and choose as wisely as you can.
The scope of this section could be huge, a guide in its own right, delving into ethical wildlife photography practices, alongside the choices to be made as travelers and then further into the realms of wildlife conservation. Unfortunately we don’t have the space here to discuss everything in depth so we simply hope to raise some points that will help you consider what you could be doing and open doors for you to seek further information when making your own choices both now and in the future. As wildlife photographers, we are uniquely placed to ensure we support wildlife tourism in a positive and constructive manner and encourage others to do the same. As you share your images and experiences you can help inspire others through your passions and your processes to travel and support wildlife in a sustainable way.
When you are just starting to plan a trip, you need to carefully consider where you will be going and where you will be staying. We often deliberately recommend some lesser known reserves. These places see far fewer tourists which makes every visitor valuable to provide income and employment. That doesn’t mean you have to avoid the more popular places. Wherever you choose just be conscious of the suppliers and lodges you select to stay with and ultimately support.
There is often a mixture of owner run and group or company owned lodges. Neither is necessarily superior just because of who owns it. You will need to look closer, consider how is the lodge built and run. Have they tried to use alternative energy sources such as solar power? Do they choose to donate any proportion of their profits to the local area, either communities or wildlife conservation or both? Do they invest in their staff, train them, pay them fairly and hold on to them, there’s a good chance if staff have been with a company a long time they are being looked after well. Do they have any community projects they make available for their guests to support – some run education funds for their staff’s children, others support orphanages or local schools and some have even been responsible for setting up and funding anti-poaching patrols and local conservation charities. Things like this woven into the DNA of a company are what you are looking for. A place that has a passion and deep abiding love for what it does, that takes pride in supporting the region from which it derives it’s business and livelihood. Sadly there are no hard and fast rules and we find ticking boxes doesn’t always reveal the truth. You will need to spend time looking at what the company says about itself on it’s website and on social media. Look at what others have said about their experience and also what your agent says, weigh it all together and make the best choice you can.
It is often common to want to do more and support the regions we visit more then just spending our tourist dollars. This can be great and often financial support is extremely useful to local organisations, although sometimes purchasing specific supplies can be helpful too. Do speak to the lodges and staff where you are staying to learn about their area and it’s needs, don’t have preconceptions about what you think should be done. Often there are smaller conservation charities or community projects for which a small donation can make a huge difference. Be sensible and be sure to donate to something that you are both passionate about supporting, but that will also be useful. Be careful to ensure you get the funds to the right people in the appropriate manner. There are some great initiatives like Pack for A Purpose that many lodges now support and this can allow you to bring or leave useful supplies with your lodge which will be appropriately distributed to the local communities or charities. This is often a much better choice then just leaving leftover stuff for the lodge staff and guides where you stay.
Plastic has become a key issue for those of us concerned about our environmental impact. Do ask if the lodge you will be staying at has the ability to offer filtered or treated tap water that is safe to drink. If they do then pack your own refillable bottle that you can top up as needed. This is becoming much more common in lodges throughout Africa as they all try to reduce the amount of plastic being produced. Also consider the plastic you take with you and what you leave behind in terms of waste. Many lodges are very remote and recycling might not be possible or easy for them to achieve. So if you have any plastic consider taking it home where you might be able to deal with it more easily. If you can reduce the plastic you use in the first place even better. There are some great options but like all things in this section they require some effort and investigation to find what works best for you.
Whilst we are considering reducing the amount of plastic we travel with, you might also want to consider the products you are using and how they will affect the environment. Everything you apply to your skin will likely get washed off and potentially end up in the environment. Many lodges are remote and will use grey water drainage and filtration from showers and sinks alongside septic tank systems, which means residue will be entering the water cycle.
A good example we have adopted is we now always travel with and use reef safe sun screen. These are sun screens that have been determined safe for the marine environment, coral reefs and aquatic life. Even if you’re not intending being in the sea, its worth considering using a sun screen like this as it will be kinder on the environment. Be warned they take a bit of practice to apply but actually we have also found that we have fared far better under the strength of the African sun since making the switch. Also look at any shower gels, shampoos, moisturisers or insect repellents you travel with and consider if there are alternatives that might be kinder to you and the environment.
Please also ensure that you don’t leave any litter in the bush whilst out on your game drives. One of the fundamental parts of a safari is often an opportunity to stop away from camp for a leg stretch either for a morning coffee or a sundowner. Often there will be a designated toilet stop behind a nearby bush. If you use toilet paper please take it away with you. Yes toilet paper degrades, but not instantly or indeed that quickly, before you know it there is loads of paper and what was previously a pristine environment has become tainted for both the animals and other safari goers. So make sure when answering the call of nature out in the bush that all you leave is a damp patch where you have watered the earth.
Ethical Wildlife Photography
Animals can’t verbalise when we have crossed a line or over stepped a mark. We have to be sufficiently alert and aware to look for the clues that will betray their unease or discomfort. These clues will be subtle, at least at first and they are the ones you need to learn to observe so that situations don’t escalate to a point where the animal has become distressed by your presence and shows you with a clear display.
Always show respect for an animal’s boundaries, this will be different for different species and indeed different individuals, look for their body language and expressions as an indicator. Be even more sensitive to mothers with young and animals either hunting or on a kill or drinking, their survival could depend on your behaviour. We always work with our guides to ensure that we maintain a respectful distance, constantly monitoring the animals behaviour and body language to ensure they remain relaxed and confident in our presence. If the animals ever show any sign of concern we will always leave them immediately. No image you want to capture is ever more important then the welfare and safety of the animal you are photographing. So don’t take risks with their safety or indeed your own. Please don’t be tempted to feed animals or lure them with food to get a shot, this causes untold issues and normally results in the animals becoming a problem further down the line which might ultimately lead to their demise.
Ethical photography is another subject altogether but one that we didn’t feel this section would be complete without mentioning as it is deeply important to us and how we conduct ourselves and hope to inspire others to behave whilst photographing wildlife. We hope that your desire to do wildlife photography is born from an underlying love and respect for the natural world, because if that is your foundation it will stand you in good stead to make good choices.
Hopefully you will be with a quality guide, that is trained to ensure that interactions with the wildlife are as non-invasive as possible and that the animals wellbeing always remains their top priority. Make sure you understand how you need to behave with regards to keeping noise and movements within the vehicle to a minimum and always follow your guides instructions for every encounter. There may be times where you need to sit quietly and that might mean no pictures because even your camera shutter might be to loud.
We all need to be aware that our actions can and do have long lasting and far reaching consequences to the lives of the wild animals we see and how they will go on to interact with others after our interaction with them.
Be aware that off road driving in many parks is banned or severely restricted, for good reason as it can do serious ecological damage. Destroying flora and microfauna, impacting soil structure and its resistance to water and top soil runoff. So if the animal is too far away for your lens, remember you do have several options to try. Compose an image that has the animal as part of it’s landscape. Wait patiently and quietly to see if the animal moves closer, or forget about capturing an image and just enjoy the sighting and the moment through binoculars, there will be other shots and other opportunities.
Lastly a simple and helpful way to get involved with conservation is to find out if there are any citizen science initiatives active in the regions you are visiting. You can ask your guides or do your own research beforehand to see if any charities have research or conservation work that is requesting citizen records. These projects often find it very useful to receive quality photography and sightings and it can be a fun way to help out and put some of your shots to good use. These studies are often for predators or rare and endangered species of animals and birds, where research studies are gathering more information on population dynamics, size and distribution. If you do find a project then have a look at what they need, often the images they want aren’t artistic but rather simple, good quality shots of specific angles and with the location and dates recorded.
There are even some charities that have camera traps set up in their regions and actually need your help with sorting through the imagery that is produced. They have online portals where you can sit in the comfort of your own home and help them to collate their records. Once you start looking you’ll be amazed at the ways you can help.
