Important Rerun: Field Etiquette for Nature Photographers

What’s Up?

Great news. The Red-shouldered Hawk was back on The Perch II on Friday morning and after 15 minutes of intense concentration, I nailed a fabulous takeoff sequence. The bird returned to the same perch and I figured that I had the technique down pat. After ten minutes I blinked and missed the bird’s departure. You will see the best of my take-off sequence here soon. Otherwise it was a pretty slow morning.

Kudos to Cliff Beittel who nailed the f/8 question in yesterday’s blog post — Anita forgot to change the aperture after removing the 2X TC (as I have done thousands of times over the past four decades after removing a TC).

I drove into town yesterday to have my stitches removed but the doctor called in sick and nobody called to let me know. (I wonder if I can charge him for a missed appointment?) Anyhoo, the incision had healed perfectly and Dr. North told me that is was OK to get back into the pool.

Today is Saturday 15 March 2025. It is just past 6:00am and we are headed back to Stick Marsh hoping to get back on a hot streak. Whatever you plan on doing, I hope that you too opt to have a wonderful day. Do remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com.

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This image was created on 21 October 2014 at Fort DeSoto Park. I used the Canon 24-105mm and the EOS-7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2.0 stops 1/640 sec. at f/6.3 in Aperture Priority mod (!). Even back then I was exposing to the right. Image #1: Bird photographer working gull shorebird flock with Marbled Godwits Image courtesy of and copyright 2014: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

What Would You Do?

What’s the right thing to do in the situation above? What would you do? (Bill Eaton, is that you in the photograph above?)

An Important Rerun

As the two ladies with Canon 100-500s scared most of the American White Pelicans off the bulkhead wall the other day in Lakeland, and because there are so many new bird photographers right now, I thought that re-running this article would be a good plan.

The article below was first published on the blog (here) on September 11th, 2012. Three images are featured and lots of old friends are in the pictures. Those include Denise Ippolito, Monte Brown, and Malcolm MacKenzie. As not a lot has changed, I made only a very few revisions to the text.

Some might be interested in reading the comments on an old BirdPotographers.Net post that I posted here back on March 1, 2014. It is entitled In-the Field Nature Photography Ethics as I See Them. I came across it last night while doing research for today’s post. As I have a much thicker skin now than I had then, I undeleted about 20 comments. Sadly, two of the folks who commented, Joe Pryzbyla and Grady Weed, are no longer with us. There are some excellent comments from my good friend Eric Bowles (who is still very much alive).

Field Etiquette for Nature Photographers

I was walking along a narrow path next to Little Estero Lagoon while scouting for a Southwest Florida IPT. About 50 yards ahead of me there were two American Oystercatchers foraging. The only problem was that 35 yards ahead of me a photographer was lying on his belly photographing the pair of attractive birds. They were catching big worms and the light was lovely. What to do? The guy was on the wet sand was facing away and was not at all aware that I was there. If I called to him (to ask if I could join him) I risked scaring the birds away. So I stood there for 30 minutes and watched with a bit of envy. Finally I decided that I would join him by starting my crawl from way back so as not to flush the birds.

I advanced slowly a few yards, remaining well outside of this species usual circle of fear. I slowly and carefully got down on one knee and the birds did not notice me, but as I lowered myself to the prone position, one of the birds (to my dismay) screamed its strident alarm call. Both birds leaned forward and took flight. I felt absolutely terrible and was about to explain that I had waited for half an hour when the photographer turned towards me and exclaimed, “Artie, it’s great to see you!” Then Tim Fitzharris, a friend, a well-known professional nature photographer and author, and one of the folks who inspired me early on, reached into an upper pocket, grabbed his walkie-talkie, raised his wife (who was in their small motor home nearby with their son Jesse), and said, “Joy, you would not believe whom I just ran into while crawling in the mud!”

Folks are usually not so glad to see you when you scare their subjects away.

You are walking down a desolate beach when you see a photographer working a beautiful Reddish Egret, a species you have dreamed of photographing. What to do? First off, as we saw in the example above, you need to stay well back. If you opt to leave the photographer and his subject, be sure to give both a wide berth while passing them. Many photographers think, “I will be polite and walk around this situation,” and then they choose a route that flushes the bird (or especially, a flock of birds; it is usually easier to approach a single bird than it is to approach a flock: scare one, scare all …) As a general rule, plan your route by doubling the distance that you think necessary to avoid flushing the birds.

If the photographer is aware of your presence, you have another option: you can ask as quietly as possible or gesture by pointing appropriately to indicate “Can I join you?” If they nod or assent, you need to be especially careful as to how you make your approach. First, you must consider your route. Approaching from directly behind the photographer is almost always best. You can actually hide behind the person who was there first as you make your approach. If the photographer is standing and you are going to approach while standing, you need to keep the front leg of your tripod low. It is often best to carry your tripod in front of you rather than on your shoulder. And you will need to move slowly, very slowly. I am often amazed at folks who think that “slowly” means to walk as if you were in a supermarket and were late for dinner. If you are walking through shallow water or muck or algae, listen to your footsteps. By doing so and placing each foot down carefully you can make your approach much less obtrusive.

If the photographer is kneeling you need to get down on your knees while you are well back and then again, make your approach slowly. If the photographer is down on his belly, you need to get down on your belly, again, while you are well back, and crawl your way in. Walking right up to a photographer who is either kneeling or crawling is unconscionable. In all cases your number one concern must be to avoid flushing the subject or the flock that is being worked by someone who arrived on scene before you.

If there is only one flock of birds in sight and there are several photographers already in position then you have a bit more freedom; you can approach carefully without asking, make sure to go in low and slow. As always, you need to take great care to avoid flushing the flock. There are of course many grey areas here. In some situations, as with an obviously tame bird, you can simply approach without much concern. An example might be a fisherman-friendly Great Blue Heron that is used to being in close proximity to humans. As with all aspects of photography, knowing your subject is of paramount importance. If I came across someone photographing a Horned Lark while lying flat on the grass I would never even consider approaching as this species is notoriously flighty.

If you encounter a tour group that is photographing the only birds on the beach, then joining them would—in my opinion, be appropriate. If, however, they are tossing fish to attract the birds, then it might be inappropriate to join them unless you ask or are invited to do so. An option would be to take a position well behind the group while using a longer lens. And, by the way, if you are a member of a tour group, the restrictions on approaching birds or animals being photographed by other members of the group are greatly relaxed. That said, be sure to move slowly and to get low if need be. And if you are a member of a tour group, it is imperative that you be doubly considerate of other photographers who are not part of your group.

There is one exception to the above. If one of the group has split well off from the group and gotten close to a nice bird (or a nice flock of birds), I would suggest that you treat them as if they were a stranger, that is, with great respect.

At Homer, Alaska, when it was legal to feed the Bald Eagles there, I would routinely spend more than $1,400 on fish over a ten day period; herring is a relatively healthy eagle snack. Many photographers, certainly more than a dozen, followed my group around the Spit as if they were members of the group. They joined right in, often getting in front of the folks in my group or in front of me. Though I did not say a word—except to those who carelessly stepped in front of others, I firmly believe that their behavior was inappropriate. When folks are paying for a service, it’s rude to intrude.

In all group situations, it is imperative to be aware of the position of the others in the group. If someone is looking through their viewfinder at a subject, you are not free to walk in front of them as you please. To do so is inconsiderate. You can either walk behind them or, you can ask them if it would be OK for you to pass. When I want to get by someone quickly, I often stand just outside their field of view and say “Say when,” implying that they should let me know when it is OK to pass.

If you want to walk in front of someone who is changing teleconverters or chatting with a friend then you can do so with impunity. I saw a woman at the Venice Rookery berate another photographer for walking in front of her tripod mounted lens (even though the complaining photographer was more than 10 feet away from her rig!) If you are photographing with or in the vicinity of a group and you opt to stay well back from the subject or the flock while everyone else is photographing the same subjects from much closer range, it is usually best for you to adjust your position in response to the folks up front changing their positions. I have seen folks photographing a subject from a hundred yards away chastise other photographers who were working a tame subject from much closer range with short lenses. If you choose to stay well back and work with a long lens, you are the one who needs to move. With your narrow field of view you will only have to move a very short distance to get a clean shot. On the other hand, if several folks are working a subject with a long lens, it would not be proper for you to block them by approaching the subject.

If you have worked hard to get close to a great subject or a flock of birds, remember that working the edge of a flock is usually best, be sure to exit as carefully as you approached so that you do not disturb the birds. And that is true whether you are by yourself or with a large group. I have, on countless occasions, seen a selfish photographer who is finished working a bird or a group of birds simply stand up when they were done thus flushing the bird(s). That is like saying, “I am done and I do not care at all about you or the bird.”

If you are photographing migrant songbirds in wooded areas or edges such as The Tip at Point Pelee National Park near Leamington, Ontario or at the Convention Center on Padre Island, TX, the guidelines are quite different. If there are several photographers around, it is pretty much open season as the warblers, tanagers, vireos, and the rest of the cast are usually intent on feeding and are pretty much oblivious to our movements. Be sure, however, to move slowly, to be fairly quiet, and to avoid cutting in front of others. In such situations the birds move to the next bush or fly away pretty much when they are ready to. On the other hand, if there is a single photographer in the woods working a thrush — they are usually quite skittish, it is usually best to take another path and search for your own bird. Another option would be to stand quietly and hope that the bird moves towards your position.

Here are some guidelines to follow when photographing from your vehicle on a refuge tour route or a shoreline with vehicle access (like East Beach at Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg, FL.) If the car in front of you is close to a skittish subject, it is best to either give them a few minutes with the subject before trying to get into position, or, if possible, to pass them by without scaring off the subject. If in doubt, it is best to give them a bit of time with the subject before you attempt to go by them. If you are positive that the bird or animal is tame, you can approach at any time. When you do approach, do so slowly and with extreme care. On a related note, it is best to approach subjects with your telephoto lens in place on the window; raising the lens and sticking it out the window once you are close to the subject will often frighten it away. (Note: if you are photographing from your vehicle with a big lens it should be on a BLUBB.) Here’s another fine point: if you position your vehicle in front of the car that was on the scene first and the animal moves towards you position, you are not obligated to move your vehicle. If the other driver is savvy, they will simply pull ahead of you and hope — as will often be the case, that the subject continues to move in the same direction.

Under no circumstances is it permissible to leave your vehicle and approach a photographer working from their vehicle. At Merritt Island, I had just pulled up to a huge flock of White Pelicans doing their group feeding thing; they were herding and catching huge mullet in a pool right next to the road when a car pulled up behind me. A guy got out with an intermediate telephoto lens and all the birds flew away, about two miles away. At East Beach at Fort DeSoto I had a group of five American Avocets right outside my car. Another photographer left his vehicle, walked several hundred yards towards my position with his big lens on his shoulder, and scared all the birds away. You gotta love it. When the inevitable occurs, it is fine, if you are comfortable doing so, to let the offender know politely that their behavior was inappropriate. No matter how egregious the offense, screaming or cursing will not help the situation at all.

It goes without saying that we all must follow the rules when working in controlled areas. If the signs say “Stay on the Path,” then we must stay on the path. If the sign says “Area Closed” (and is a legal sign), then we must not enter. To do otherwise gives all photographers a bad name. At present, because of the actions of a relatively few, many refuge managers consider all photographers criminals. If you encounter another photographer breaking the rules you might consider informing them as politely as possible that their behavior is improper. If the other photographer ignores your request, it is best to move on while jotting down a description or better yet, a license plate number, and letting the authorities know what you observed. Best would be to photograph the offending photographer in action and then photograph their license plate. When you do opt to report someone to the authorities you are in my opinion, obligated to leave your contact information.

The suggestions above are guidelines based on my 42 years of field experience. There are of course lots of grey areas and close calls. At all times, however, it is best to obey the posted rules,to use common sense, and to be considerate of others and the subjects that you are photographing.

This In Belatedly — On Foul Language

This morning there was a guy at Stick Marsh who used several nasty curse words in every sentence. There were perhaps 30 folks with lenses within hearing distance. I got his attention and said, “There are lots of folks here who would appreciate it if you did not use foul language.” He said, and this ia a direct quote, “I don’t give a f__k.” I thought long and hard about continuing the conversation but am glad that I decided not to. Not a single curse word passed his lips for the next two hours.

If you are in the habit of using foul language on occasion, I would suggest that you refrain from doing so when other photographers are nearby, And this might be a good time to reconsider your language policy.

Comments, Questions, and Thoughts

Comments, questions, and your thoughts on anything above are of course welcome. Feel free to share your tales of folks who really need to study the materials here above by leaving a comment. Did I omit anything?

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.