FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQ
Purchasing and Copyright FAQ
Licencing and Usage FAQ
Image Support FAQ
Website Support FAQ
Craig & Caroline’s FAQ
What is stock photography?
How does Craig and Caroline Hind Photography work?
Do you buy photos?
Do you publish catalogues?
Which currency do you charge in?
Why do you have different rates for certain images?
What is your refund policy?
Do your images have model releases/property releases?
Can I create an online gallery of your photos?
Can I hotlink your photos?
Which Terms of Service apply to my account?
Am I allowed to back up the images that I purchase?
How do you protect the privacy of the information I submit to you?
How do you protect my credit card information?
Why can’t I find the images I’m searching for?
How do I get terms so that I can be billed monthly?
Can I get a quote?
What if I’m not ready to purchase the image yet?
What is exclusivity?
Does the image I download have a watermark on it?
Do I have to acknowledge the stock agency or affirm copyright when I publicly use an image I have downloaded?
What if my question is not on this page?
Stock photography consists of existing photographs that can be licensed for specific uses. Book publishers, speciality publishers, magazines, advertising agencies, filmmakers, web designers, graphic artists, interior decor firms, corporate creative groups, and other entities utilise stock photography to fulfill the needs of their creative assignments. By using stock photography instead of hiring a photographer to perform on location shooting, customers can save valuable time and stay on budget. With a wealth of images, stock photography databases that may be searched online save photo researchers valuable time when they are looking for just the right image.
How does Craig and Caroline Hind Photography work?
Craig and Caroline Hind Photography is a stock photography website that provides photographs only from Craig and Caroline Hind. It is the sales outlet for their creative works.
On this site, you may search for images that you like. These images are then placed in a lightbox where similar images can be shown together so that one or more can be chosen to be purchased. Once a purchase has been made, a link to the image location will be made available to the customer so that the required image can be downloaded.
No, we make only our own images available for purchase.
This web site serves as our catalogue. We do not publish hard copy catalogues.
Which currency do you charge in?
We charge in Australian Dollars (AUD). While we may show an amount in other currencies on this site, these are only a guideline. You will be billed in Australian Dollars, and the correct exchange rate will be determined by the bank at the exact time of purchase.
Why do you have different rates for certain images?
During the selection process we determine a quality rating. Because we want to make our images affordable, certain images that are not quite as good as others are rated lower than average, and images that are technically excellent are rated higher than the average. Each image is awarded a ‘star rating’ of one to five stars which corresponds with the pricing structure. The rating process takes into account the subject matter, the composition, and technical considerations such as focus, exposure, colour and image size.
For ad-hoc downloads we offer no refunds except in the event that the image downloaded is corrupt, and we can not provide you with a working copy. We may also consider refunds based on your standing with us, and only in the event that you are not satisfied with the image downloaded from a quality aspect, or if the information provided on the site does not match the image, however this is at our discretion and is not guaranteed.
Refunds are a manual process and will be attended to at our earliest convenience.
All downloads are considered final after seven days from purchase, and no refunds will be considered.
Do your images have model releases/property releases?
No, our images are normally of wildlife and nature and thus do not usually have people or copyrighted property as the subject matter. Any inclusion of people or property is most likely accidental and incidental. We do not provide model or property releases and customers are advised to not purchase any image that they consider to require such release.
Can I create an online gallery of your photos?
No, our website constitutes an online gallery or our work. You may download our watermarked samples and keep them offline as a reference gallery, however we request that you rather use our website as the only source of reference for our work as images may become unavailable, and new images are added regularly. Pricing and information is also subject to change without notice. The detection of an online gallery of our work will be considered a copyright violation.
We would prefer it if you didn’t, but if it is the only way for you to show our work then please go ahead. Hotlinking our images to a web forum site however, is strictly prohibited, and detection will be considered a copyright violation.
Which Terms of Service apply to my account?
The terms of service in force when you purchased the image will apply to the image in question. Subsequent purchases will be bound by the current terms of service in force.
Am I allowed to back up the images that I purchase?
Yes. In fact we encourage it. However, if you lose the image you may request a copy provided that you can prove that you purchased the image in the first place.
How do you protect the privacy of the information I submit to you?
All transactions are conducted by our chosen third party (currently PhotoShelter) and all privacy information can be obtained from their privacy policy.
How do you protect my credit card information?
Your credit card information is not stored by us, as we use a third party payment gateway.
Why can’t I find the images I’m searching for?
We think our search facilities are particularly good, and that if you can’t find the image you are looking for it probably does not exist in our library. That said, sometimes mistakes do happen and you are welcome to contact us with a specific request so that we can manually check to see if we have an image fitting your description.
How do I get terms so that I can be billed monthly?
You can’t. Sorry we do not offer this as a billing option. We only offer transactions on a per purchase basis.
Yes, but not online at this stage. Please contact us with the ID number of each image that you require and we will produce and email you an official quote.
What if I’m not ready to purchase the image yet?
Just purchase an image when you are ready.
Exclusivity is the ability to purchase an image and have it removed from the system to prevent future purchase. If it has already been downloaded a few times then those who have already downloaded it retain the right to use the image, but the image will no longer be available for purchase. If you would like to purchase an image exclusively, please contact us.
Does the image I download have a watermark on it?
No. All our paid for images have no visible watermark, however the images are trackable.
Do I have to acknowledge the stock agency or affirm copyright when I publicly use an image I have downloaded?
If you purchased the image we would appreciate it if acknowledgment was made, but it is not a requirement. If you obtained the image freely (non-profit or original location access, or any other free method) then we do require that we are acknowledged.
The following should be used as the identifier: “Craig & Caroline Hind Photography – Copyright 2011″ or similar.
What if my question is not on this page?
Please contact us with your specific questions.
Can I get non-watermarked comping images?
Can I purchase a membership?
Can I purchase images online?
Do I need to register to purchase?
Do I own the image after I buy it?
Can I sell the photos that I download?
Surely if I pay for an image I should own the image outright?
Why can’t I own the copyright?
If I modify an image, can I claim copyright to that image?
What is a derivative work?
Can I get non-watermarked comping images?
No. Unfortunately if we gave you access to the saleable image we would have no guarantee that you would pay for it. Giving access to a lower resolution (72dpi) image would also not be a possibility as this image could easily be used for a web site, or increased to 300dpi at a smaller size. We do provide watermarked images for comping use.
No. Unfortunately at this time this is not a possibility.
Yes, all images shown on this site are available to purchase online. Once you have paid for an image you will be able to download the image.
Do I need to register to purchase?
You will need to register with our processing agent PhotoShelter in order to purchase, but registration is part of the purchase process.
Do I own the image after I buy it?
No. You own the right to use the image in your own projects.
Can I sell the photos that I download?
No. You do not own the rights to sell the photo without including it in some other publication or project. You may not sell the image on its own or exactly as you received it from us.
Surely if I pay for an image I should own the image outright?
If you purchase an image exclusively and you are the only purchaser of an image, you may apply for the right to sell the image. However, you will never be granted the copyright.
Why can’t I own the copyright?
Because you didn’t capture the original image.
If I modify an image, can I claim copyright to that image?
No. The copyright will still be vested in us. You are not permitted to modify an image other than to cut or isolate specific parts of an image for use in a project.
In copyright law, a derivative work is an artistic creation that includes major, basic copyrighted aspects of an original, previously created first work. The rights of the first work’s originator must be granted to the secondary work for it to be rightfully called a ‘derivative work’. If no copyright permission is granted from the originator, it is instead called a ‘copy’.
If you use our images as part of a greater project, you may claim copyright on your entire work which includes our image. However you do not own the copyright to our image, and you should acknowledge our work, within your work.
What is the difference between the licence types?
Where can I use purchased photos?
Are the images royalty free?
What does ‘royalty free’ mean?
Do you have any ‘rights managed’ images?
What if I have additional uses for an image?
Will I be the only one who can use the images?
What is the difference between the licence types?
We have two licence types, non-exclusive and exclusive. A non-exclusive licence states that you may use the image for any project that you require, but that it is understood that the image may be sold again in the future by us. You are not permitted to sell the image yourself. An exclusive licence means that you have requested that no further sales of this image be considered. Customers who have already downloaded an image non-exclusively that has now been sold as exclusive retain the right to use the image as they see fit. You do not have the right to sell the image yourself even if you have exclusivity over it. If you want to sell the unaltered image to a single other party you can contact us for permission.
Where can I use purchased photos?
Anywhere you like as long as the image is not drastically altered (cut outs and isolations are ok).
Yes. Once you have purchased the image no further fees are required.
What does ‘royalty free’ mean?
Royalty free means that the image can be used multiple times by the purchaser without a licence fee being paid to the copyright owner. It does not mean that you do not have to purchase the image!
Do you have any ‘rights managed’ images?
No.
What if I have additional uses for an image?
Go ahead and use the image. As long as you are the original purchaser of the image we don’t mind how many times you use an image.
Will I be the only one who can use the images?
Yes and no. If you purchase an image exclusively and you are the only person to have purchased the image, then yes you have the exclusive right to use the image.
What is a TIFF?
What is a JPG?
What is a RAW image?
Can I download/purchase RAW images?
What’s the difference between RGB and CMYK?
Do you provide images in CMYK format?
What formats do your photos come in?
What sizes do your photos come in?
How large can I print your digital images?
Can I obtain a film negative?
How does your image numbering system work?
Do you digitally manipulate your images?
How long does it take to download an image?
Tagged Image File Format (abbreviated TIFF) is a file format for mainly storing images, including photographs and line art. Originally created by the company Aldus, jointly with Microsoft, for use with PostScript printing, TIFF is a popular format for high colour depth images, along with JPEG and PNG. TIFF format is widely supported by image-manipulation applications such as Photoshop by Adobe, GIMP, Ulead PhotoImpact and Paint Shop Pro by Jasc, by desktop publishing and page layout applications, such as QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesign, and by scanning, faxing, word processing, optical character recognition, and other applications. Adobe Systems, which acquired the PageMaker publishing program from Aldus, now controls the TIFF specification. The ability to store image data in a lossless format makes TIFF files a useful method for archiving images. Unlike standard JPEG, TIFF files can be edited and resaved without suffering a compression loss.
In computing, JPEG (pronounced JAY-peg) is a commonly used standard method of compression for photographic images. JPEG is used for lossy compression of images, although, variations on the standard baseline JPEG allow for lossless compression. The file format which employs this compression is commonly also called JPEG; the most common file extensions for this format are .jpeg, .jfif, .jpg, .JPG, or .JPE although .jpg is the most common on all platforms. JPEG/JFIF is the format most used for storing and transmitting photographs on the World Wide Web. For this application, it is preferred to formats such as GIF, which has a limit of 256 distinct colours that is insufficient for colour photographs, and PNG, which produces much larger image files for this type of image. It is not as well suited for line drawings and other textual or iconic graphics because its compression method performs badly on these types of images, for which the PNG and GIF formats are more commonly used. A lossy data compression method is one where compressing data and then decompressing it retrieves data that may well be different from the original, but is “close enough” to be useful in some way. Most lossy data compression formats suffer from generation loss: repeatedly compressing and decompressing the file will cause it to progressively lose quality. This is in contrast with lossless data compression.
A raw image file contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of a digital camera or image scanner. Raw files are so named because they are not yet processed and thus not yet ready to be used by a bitmap graphics editor, printed, or to be displayed by a typical web browser. The image must be processed with special software designed for the particular implementation of raw used by the camera before it can be manipulated. Nearly all digital cameras can process the image from the sensor into a JPEG file using settings for white balance, colour saturation, contrast, and sharpness that are either selected automatically or entered by the photographer before taking the picture. Cameras that support raw files save these settings in the file, but defer the processing. This results in an extra step for the photographer, so raw is normally only used when additional computer processing is intended. However, raw permits much greater control than JPEG and ensures that images are of the highest quality.
Can I download/purchase RAW images?
No. We supply only TIFF or JPEG formatted images.
What’s the difference between RGB and CMYK?
Computer (and other) screens use an RGB colour space, representing colours as additive mixtures of red, green and blue light (whose sum is white). In printed materials, this combination cannot be directly reproduced, so computer-generated images must be converted to the CMYK equivalent in ink colours.
The mixture of ideal CMY colours is subtractive (cyan, magenta, and yellow printed together on white result in black). CMYK works through light absorption. The colours that are seen are from the part of light that is not absorbed. In CMYK, magenta plus yellow produces red, magenta plus cyan makes blue and cyan plus yellow generates green.
Do you provide images in CMYK format?
Not online no. Images are provided in RGB format only. If you need to convert the image to CMYK you can do it yourself in Photoshop or a similar image editor. If you absolutely need an image provided in CMYK format you will need to contact us directly.
What formats do your photos come in?
Our photos are available in TIFF and JPG formats.
What sizes do your photos come in?
Our photos are available in various sizes. These will be indicated on the specific image page.
How large can I print your digital images?
That depends on the size of the file you downloaded and the resolution (dpi) of the image. Each image page on the site will indicate the maximum printable size.
No. All of our recent images are digital only. A few of our older images were captured from film, but we do not sell the negatives.
How does your image numbering system work?
All of our images have a unique ID number that can be used for purchasing. The file names of the images are also unique, and can also be used to identify an image.
Our current numbering scheme is based on the camera model and the serial number given to the image by the camera. Older images contain only the serial number assigned by the camera. Images that were scanned from film usually include the Twincheck number, the year and month that the image was shot, and the frame number on the film spool.
Do you digitally manipulate your images?
Well that depends on how strictly you define digital manipulation. All our images are stored digitally, and the majority of our images were captured with a digital camera. These images when they are brought into software for processing are not currently in a form that is viewable as an image and have to be processed to a certain degree. Part of the process is the correction of colour, sharpening (which is technically necessary with digital images, it isn’t used for fixing blurred images!), levels correction, tweaking of exposure and white balance, highlights and shadows etc and just maybe the addition of a digital filter if necessary. These days this is often the difference between a amateur photograph and one that has been professionally processed. So yes, technically our images have been manipulated, but no more than what would have previously been done in the darkroom with film. When it comes to other kinds of manipulation such as adding and removing objects, or cleaning up power lines etc, we don’t agree with that. With us, what we saw is pretty much what you get.
How long does it take to download an image?
Approximate download times shown in minutes
Assuming a 512kbps ADSL line respectively.
1Mb = 1 minute
10Mb = 4 minutes
30Mb = 8 minutes
50Mb = 12 minutes
I’m having a problem, how do I get support?
Do I need to be able to make a secure connection to your site?
If I can’t get a product to download, what other options do I have?
What browsers are compatible with this website?
What are the limits on downloads?
A page shows an error message and there is no image. What does this mean?
How do I see the images?
How do I buy a photo?
How do I receive my photos?
Can I search without being registered?
How do I download free comping images?
How do I get detailed information about an image?
How can I download an image I’ve previously purchased and will I be charged again for downloading it multiple times?
How do I save an image to my computer?
I’m having a problem, how do I get support?
Contact us with your problem and we’ll help.
Do I need to be able to make a secure connection to your site?
No. It is not a requirement that you make a secure connection to the site, however, you may need a secure connection to the payment gateway in order to pay for your purchases.
If I can’t get a product to download, what other options do I have?
Please contact us and let us know. We will determine what the problem is and fix it.
What browsers are compatible with this website?
This web site should load perfectly in any browser that is also XHTML 1.0 compliant. If your browser is not compliant the site is supposed to degrade gracefully, however it is recommended that you upgrade to the latest version of your favourite browser and preferably to a browser that is compliant with web standards.
What are the limits on downloads?
There are currently no limits on how many times you may download an image. If you are having trouble downloading an image please contact us.
A page shows an error message and there is no image. What does this mean?
If you receive an error page it generally means that an image that was supposed to be available no longer is. It is also possible that there are other technical problems with the web site at that time. Please contact us with a short description of what you were doing at the time and we will rectify the problem.
If you see an image that you like anywhere on the site, simply click on it and you will be taken to the page for that particular image. Otherwise go to the search page and search for an image based on your criteria. When the search results are returned you are able to click on each image to show the page for that image.
When you are on an individual image page, you have the option to purchase the image. The pages that follow will collect or confirm your details and ask for your credit card information. Once the transaction is complete the purchase is concluded.
Once your purchase has been concluded you will be able to download your image.
Can I search without being registered?
Yes.
How do I download free comping images?
When in the detail view you have the option to download a watermarked comping image which you can resize to your specifications.
How do I get detailed information about an image?
When in the basic view you have the option to view detailed information.
How can I download an image I’ve previously purchased and will I be charged again for downloading it multiple times?
You should be able to download images that you have purchased from our site. If you are unable to do this please contact us with your invoice number and the image details and we will send the image to you via email. You will not be charged again.
How do I save an image to my computer?
On a Macintosh, control-click or right-click an image in the browser and select “Save image to …” in Safari, or “Save Image As…” in Firefox.
In Windows, right-click on an image in the browser and select “Save Picture As” in Internet Explorer, or “Save Image As…” in Firefox.
Do you pass off captive animals as wild?
What equipment do you use?
Describe a typical day in the bush?
How did you get into wildlife photography?
Wildlife photography ethics?
Do you pass off captive animals as wild?
Never! We’re not saying that we don’t have images of captive animals on this site, but where we do we will always tell you in a number of ways. Firstly you can look at the location tag, if the photograph was taken in a zoo then the chances are good that the animal was captive. Sometimes the animals that we photograph are located in sanctuaries or rehabilitation centres, these animals while temporarily captive (or not) are still wild animals, although they are obviously not in their natural environment. You can also determine if a photographed animal is captive by looking at the keyword tags for an image. If the animal was captive such as in a zoo the word “captive” will be included. If the animal was located in a rehabilitation centre then the keyword “rehabilitation” or “rehabilitated” will be used. If no such keyword exists it can be assumed that the animal was located in a game reserve of some sort. Again, the location tag will confirm this.
Camera Bodies: We make use of Canon cameras. Currently we use a Canon EOS 30D and Canon EOS 60D which means we are digital only. We have also used digital cameras from Sony, and film cameras from Canon. We also had a Pentax Spotmatic manual camera for doing things like star trails, but that is now done digitally.
Lenses: We use lenses made by Canon, and try to use only the professional grade ‘L’ series lenses with image stabilisation. We have wide angle lenses and telephoto lenses up to 400mm, we also have extenders that allow us to convert our lenses up to a maximum focal length of 800mm.
Light: Although we do have and use a flash, we try to make the best possible use of natural light, particularly the warm light that photographers cherish. This light is very limited and generally only occurs from sunrise for an hour or two, and an hour or two before sunset.
Film: Even though we are now entirely digital, we did have a film preference for Fujichrome Velvia. We have also used Kodachrome E100SW (warm) and E100VS (saturated, like Velvia) as well as the excellent and versatile E200. We have used many other brands of slide and print film in our time though, and found pretty much all of it to be very good. When we use print film, such as for star trails we just use Fuji Superia 200.
Hardware: We’re Apple freaks. You don’t have to have the high end stuff to do the work (although we wish we did – it would make processing images much faster!). Our main systems are Apple MacBook Pros.
Software: We use Apple’s Aperture software to process all our images, as well as Adobe Photoshop for processing requirements not directly handled by Aperture. This is all running on Mac OS X and the web site was developed by ourselves using WordPress and the Photoshelter service, and using themes from Graphpaper Press.
Currently we use LowePro and B&W bags and cases to carry around all our photographic gear.
Describe a typical day in the bush?
People seem to think that being a wildlife photographer is very glamorous. It isn’t. It is extremely enjoyable, but it takes a lot of work and long hours often in the heat of the hot African or Australian sun to get a good image. Not to mention patience, lots and lots of patience.
A typical day depends mostly on how it starts as we have a few different ‘typical’ days. It depends on whether we are visiting a reserve as a day trip, or whether we are staying in the reserve. The times that things happen also depend on the season and location of the reserve.
If we are visiting a reserve as a day trip, we often get out of bed as early as 02:00, showered, packed and ready to leave by 03:30, then on the road for two and a half hours to hopefully arrive at the reserve gate for opening time which could be 05:00 or 06:00 depending on the season. If we’re staying in the reserve we can sleep in a bit but still attempting to leave the camp at gate opening time. This time is now within one of the day’s glorious “golden hours“, so finding a willing subject is the task at hand and a priority. After about 08:00 it’s time to find a hide where we can enjoy the animals coming in to drink and a welcome rest where we can also have some breakfast and a cup of coffee. At 10:00 the light is starting to get harsh, and the animals are starting to find shade where they can get out of the hot sun. This time of day is really not conducive to good photography, except in winter where you can sometimes find animals out in the open all day. This is a time when you can return to the camp, offload your images onto the notebook, have a little sleep if you can (we can’t), look around the camp for other animals hiding in the trees, perhaps visit the curio shop. Or sometimes if you are too far from camp you just have to keep driving until you find a waterhole or hide where you can stop and rest. Around 14:00 it’s time to go out again repeating the morning drive and again hunting down the animals in time for the second golden hour of the day, making sure of course that you are not too far from camp as you have to be back by gate closing time. It’s now about 18:00 and it’s either time to think about making dinner, or it’s time for the drive home. If we’re staying at the reserve we may take in a night drive or not, but either way the images have to again be downloaded to the notebook. If we’re lucky we’ll get to bed at 22:00 so we can start the next day again in a similar way.
However, even when we get home the job still isn’t finished. We now have to process all those images, categorise, tag with keywords, quality check and decide on a rating, then finally are they added to this web site for you to enjoy and hopefully purchase. This process alone could take up to two weeks depending on the length of the trip.
How did you get into wildlife photography?
Well it’s not really something that we set out to do, it just sort of happened. It’s a passion, and a hobby and one thing lead to another and here we are.
It of course helps if you are interested in wildlife and photography, and you can afford to go out and buy all the necessary equipment, as camera equipment, particularly digital, can be quite expensive, and that doesn’t even include getting some decent long lenses that can cost as much as a car! Our advice would probably be to start small with a good, but compact digital camera, and buy some good books on the subject of digital photography, and wildlife and landscape photography, and as you progress the bug will bite and the next thing you know you have a large overdraft so that you can feed your obsession of buying better and better cameras and larger and longer lenses! 
This is what we did, but don’t expect success overnight, we don’t consider ourselves to have ‘made it’ yet. Both of us still work at full time jobs.
The bottom line when taking photos of wildlife (and nature) is to not disturb it. When an animal is stressed its behaviour changes, and this isn’t good for you or the animal. For you the animal is acting differently and this may not be good for photography. For the animal it may mean the difference between life and death. This is especially true when following predator and prey. You don’t want to give either animal the advantage, nature must follow its course. There are many more ethics that could apply, but they all pretty much centre around not disturbing animals in their natural environment.
We subscribe to the NANPA PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL FIELD PRACTICES
NANPA believes that following these practices promotes the well-being of the location, subject and photographer. Every place, plant, and animal, whether above or below water, is unique, and cumulative impacts occur over time. Therefore, one must always exercise good individual judgment. It is NANPA’s belief that these principles will encourage all who participate in the enjoyment of nature to do so in a way that best promotes good stewardship of the resource.
Environmental: knowledge of subject and place
- Learn patterns of animal behavior–know when not to interfere with animals’ life cycles.
- Respect the routine needs of animals–remember that others will attempt to photograph them, too.
- Use appropriate lenses to photograph wild animals–if an animal shows stress, move back and use a longer lens.
- Acquaint yourself with the fragility of the ecosystem–stay on trails that are intended to lessen impact.
Social: knowledge of rules and laws
- When appropriate, inform managers or other authorities of your presence and purpose–help minimize cumulative impacts and maintain safety.
- Learn the rules and laws of the location–if minimum distances exist for approaching wildlife, follow them.
- In the absence of management authority, use good judgement–treat the wildlife, plants and places as if you were their guest.
- Prepare yourself and your equipment for unexpected events–avoid exposing yourself and others to preventable mishaps.
Individual: expertise and responsibilities
- Treat others courteously–ask before joining others already shooting in an area.
- Tactfully inform others if you observe them engaging in inappropriate or harmful behavior–many people unknowingly endanger themselves and animals.
- Report inappropriate behavior to proper authorities–don’t argue with those who don’t care; report them.
- Be a good role model, both as a photographer and a citizen–educate others by your actions; enhance their understanding.
We also subscribe to the Nature Photographers Network Code of Conduct. (There will be some duplication)
All Nature Photography
When in the field, we are ambassadors for the nature photography community as a whole. As such, always show respect and consideration for the environment, for our photographic subjects, as well as for other people;
- Respect the rights of non-photographers to enjoy a scene as well – don’t set up your gear in front of another group or person and ruin their enjoyment.
- When near another photographer who has already set up to photograph, be sure to not get in their way (or in their photo).
- Be kind and courteous to anyone who inadvertently gets into your photo.
- When a non-photographer has a question about your activity or gear, take a moment to answer them in congenial fashion. Offering the curious onlooker a view through the camera will often work wonders.
- NEVER leave any trash behind! Consider bringing a plastic garbage bag to collect a little along your way.
- If on public land, respect restrictions to entry. If any permits (such as entry, campfire or filming) are required, obtain them. Be sure that you understand any special instructions.
- Respect the rights of property owners. If you wish to photograph on private land, obtain permission from the owner, or his designee.
- Leave gates as you find them. If a gate is open when you arrive, leave it open when you depart, and vice versa.
- Do not interfere, tamper, disturb, alter or otherwise manipulate the natural environment, landscape, or objects within the environment in such a way that could lead to temporary or permanent defacement or destruction.
Special Wildlife Photography Considerations
“The subject and the habitat are more important than the photograph.”
- First study the species you want to photograph. Make sure that you can recognize signs of stress.
- Never let your presence cause the animal any stress. If there is a sign of stress, pull back.
- Familiarize yourself with the local rules concerning wildlife, such as the minimum distance to be kept between you and the animals, and be sure to obey them.
- Keep in mind that the animals are always unpredictable.
- Keep in mind that you are intruding in the animal’s world – you are its guest. Conduct your activity accordingly and leave whenever your host gives even the slightest hint that you are no longer welcome.
- Do not entice a wild animal with food from the hand in order to get the photo. Allow the animal to be wild, and to move about on its own accord.
- Consider using a blind or camouflage to bring the subject within photo range without disturbing it.
- Use a lens of long enough focal length to avoid approaching the subject too closely. Also, consider composing your photos to show more of the animal’s environment.
Remember to take only memories and photographs and leave only footprints.