There is a rule of thumb for wildlife photography safety: put the animal and your own well being ahead of getting the shot. In Australia you have to be prepared for the terrain, the weather and a mozzie or two with a grudge, as well as to know when to hold back and respect park rules. The following are some straightforward ways to go about photographing wildlife without causing the animals any stress, putting other visitors off or making a farce of an otherwise tranquil bush track.
Most of the errors I have seen in my time in the tourism industry in this country are made long before the shutter is pressed, says Nathaniel Westcott. Travellers will make assumptions that a telephoto lens renders them invisible (it does not) or they will underestimate the heat and get too close to a nest in their haste. They forget that wildlife is perceptive enough to see the fellow in shorts crouched behind a shrub, hardly dressed for spinifex.
Make a Plan
Some forethought will see your wildlife photography is more productive and at ease. For more tips for the penguin parade, plan ahead. You should make yourself aware of the local terrain, the weather, transport, permits and any seasonal or access restrictions prior to setting out; optimism will not open a closed track.
Pick a location suited to your fitness and experience level. Whether it is a wetland, a coastal reserve, a national park or one of the viewing platforms, each carries its own set of risks. Heed the official word on the site, from drone and tripod limitations to fire and vehicle access.
Be Familiar With the Ground
Put the park map on your phone for offline use and note where the car park, toilets and water are, as well as your way in and out. Once you are away from town, say on the Gibb River Road or the Stuart Highway, or in the Top End and Pilbara, mobile service has a habit of vanishing.
Do not be in a hurry. On uneven ground or in the mud and heat even a short walk can be protracted if you are observing animals properly. If you are going somewhere isolated, let someone know your plans and when to expect you back. Take on more water than the sign puts down for the walking time. And before you head off, look over what Parks Australia has to say about protected areas and national parks; the state and territory may have their own stipulations for camping, Aboriginal land passes and the like.
A Checklist
- Regulations, weather and fire danger, closures and permits.
- Sturdy shoes, sun protection, water, a first aid kit, paper map and a phone with charge.
- Spare memory and batteries for the camera, plus a rain cover.
- Inform a contact of your route and return time.
- Dress in something neutral and comfortable that will stand up to insects and scratches.
Respect Their Space
You want to be at a distance where the animal can carry on as it pleases. Should the image be wanting in size, put it to the telephoto or crop it afterwards. Do not hem in an animal, put yourself between young and parent or cut off its path to water. Sometimes the best thing to do is make a quiet exit, dramatic close-up or no.
Read the Animal
Your presence is fine so long as it is feeding, resting or grooming untroubled. But if it gives you a stare, halts or alters course, put some room between you. Do not be tempted to go up to a cassowary, koala, kangaroo, seal or nesting bird on the strength of an air of relaxation. It could be sizing you up or tending to its young. You would not want to find out just how dangerous our wildlife can be for the sake of a picture.
The 20 60 20
It is not a matter of law but a good practice in the field. Allocate 20 per cent of your time to preparation and another 20 to check your equipment and make your photographs, with the bulk of the session, 60 per cent, for waiting and observation. It curbs any hasty movements and you will be better placed to pick up on behavioural changes. After the initial reaction to you having arrived, the animal is likely to do something of interest.
Read the Stress
To be a better judge of timing and in the interests of animal welfare, it is well to understand what stress looks like. One does not get a written notice from wildlife to “Please leave,” so the onus is on the photographer to interpret an animal’s posture, its way of moving, any vocalisations or how it makes its escape.
Photographing in the wild calls for an eye for repeated warnings; do not put stock in a solitary gesture such as a head turn which could be inconsequential. Put two or three signs together and you will know when to lower your profile or make your exit.
Common Warning Signs
Stress can manifest in many ways: the animal may freeze, stare at you, breathe hard, flick its tail or lunge out. You might hear alarm calls, see fur or feathers on end, or a sudden retreat. A bird in your vicinity will forgo feeding, cease calling or keep its distance from the nest. With marine life one can expect them to come and go from the water at will, or to put some distance between themselves and a person. Kangaroos tend to get tense and square up to you. And with crocodiles you are hard put to read them, making the excuse “I was only a few metres off” a poor safety plan.
Make Your Exit
Give the animal room to get away and move without any fuss, no sudden turns. Running is for when danger is at hand. There is no need to crouch by the young for a portrait. Should the animal come to you, do not encourage it with food or a hand on it.
In northern Australia I have worked close to where visitors congregate and the trouble is seldom an aggressive creature but a crowd that has insidiously closed in on one. One after another they put in an appearance until there is no comfortable place left for the wildlife. An unobtrusive withdrawal on the part of a photographer can head off a chain reaction.
Leave Nests And Breeding Grounds Alone
Do not treat breeding areas as anything other than off limits unless a park officer or guide tells you where to view from. Repeatedly disturbing an active den or nest puts the young at risk of being abandoned or exposed to predators and the heat. To get a vantage point one should not be climbing over a barrier or straying from the track. Some of the more ethical work is done by biding your time at the periphery of a habitat.
Young Animals Are Not to Be Touched
Unless a wildlife carer or someone in authority says otherwise, eggs, joeys, chicks or any young that seem to be on their own are not to be handled or moved. The parent is often closer than you think. Nor should you resort to playback recordings or food to lure an animal from a breeding ground. If your presence causes a bird to forsake its nest, make yourself scarce until things return to normal and then perhaps put in your appearance elsewhere.
Observe the Season
Turtle nesting, penguin movements, seal pupping and other breeding seasons will dictate what access is open to you. Comply with the staff and the signage even if it is an inconvenience. These are working habitats, not an outdoor studio with set hours.
The Penguin Parade is a case in point. There are platforms and routes for the protection of all concerned. The advice is straightforward: no flash, speak quietly and let the penguins have their way, and stay where you are meant to be.
Your Equipment Should Not Make a Fuss
A telephoto lens or a beanbag will give you a steady shot and let you hold your distance. Have your settings in order before you get to the viewing spot; fiddling with the camera in front of an animal is pointless and you may miss what you are after. It is wiser to be selective with your frames than to spray the scene in the manner of a raffle entry.
Go for practical gear
Electronic or silent shutter is to be preferred, straps must be secured against the vegetation and beeps turned off. Do not bring a bag that will block a narrow platform or scrape the shrubs. In the tropics you need to guard against salt, dust and humidity. A rain cover is essential in the wet season and when you come in from the humid outdoors to air conditioning, let the cold gear warm up slowly.
No Flash
Put the flash away unless the site authority has given the nod and there is no possibility of it impacting on the wildlife. It is a sure way to put the cat among the penguins, to say nothing of bats and owls and their night habits. Open the aperture or up the ISO and live with a grainier picture; an animal under stress is not worth having a cleaner file. Always observe wildlife safety guidelines by keeping distance and staying on designated tracks to protect animals and yourself.
Reduce Noise And Human Impact
Be discreet. Put your phone on silent and do not call out to the animals. In a quiet wetland or an enclosed viewing area, a burst of laughter, music, human voices or the repeated click of a shutter will have an effect on the wildlife.
Under no circumstances should one feed wildlife. Not only does it prompt an animal to put on a show for a handout that makes for an untruthful photograph, but it also alters their nature and can be the source of conflict by luring them towards roads and visitors.
Leave No Trace
This entails securing your food, minding the vegetation and remaining on the paths provided. Take your rubbish with you. Feathers, shells and such are not to be taken away unless the local rules make an exception. See to it that fishing line, tissues and any food waste are disposed of in the right way; even a scrap of plastic is a hazard to marine life, turtles and birds. Should you come across something dangerous, let park staff handle it, there is no need for any heroics.
Bush Conditions
A wildlife photographer needs to be as well prepared personally as he is of the animals at hand. One can find a leisurely trip has become an arduous walk home thanks to smoke, tides, a storm, poor visibility or the like.
Make sure to check the weather when you arrive in the morning and prior to venturing into more isolated country. Up north in Australia the dry season will see dust and jostling in the viewing areas, and in the wet season cyclone warnings and storms have a way of shutting down tracks and roads in short order. Hot and windy weather may mean bushfire closures.
Adapt to the Terrain
On an exposed track, take more water than you think you will want and put on shoes with some grip. At the coast give due regard to the tides, waves and cliffs. And do not put your eye to the viewfinder while standing on a rock that is not stable; make certain of your way back to firm ground.
In the Pilbara or Red Centre you may not find much shade and the going can be deceptively long. The humidity in Far North Queensland will test you on what would otherwise be an easy track. Put in some rest time before it becomes necessary, all the more so if you have in tow anyone who is not accustomed to the heat in Australia, be they young or old.
An Exit Plan
Do not have your first aid, water and keys under a tripod and a couple of lenses where they are hard to get at. An injury calls for moving to safety and contacting emergency services with your GPS position or the name of the track and gate.
There is no guarantee of mobile coverage in these parts. While a fully charged phone is handy, you may be better off with a satellite messenger or an emergency beacon, or go with a guide. As for transport, costs are a matter of location. A reserve close by is a question of parking and fuel, but remote sites will set you back for four-wheel-drive hire, permits and lodging. Make sure you are clear on the cost ahead of time.
Consideration for Others
To ensure the site remains pleasant and safe for all, good behaviour is called for. Heed the staff and do not hold up the prime spot for the duration of your session while others are waiting. Use your tripod with care and do not put yourself in front of someone who has been standing quietly. Photography here is a shared pursuit, not a means of staking a claim.
The Right Session
When you are limited to a day, make a managed viewing area your first choice for the staff guidance, dependable transport, toilets and unobstructed access it offers. Get there in good time to put in some observation, but be gone before you are too tired to think clearly.
For those new to it, do not attempt a solo session out in the country or on any exposed coastal ledge; stay off unmarked tracks and from places where one has to use his own judgement as to crocodile safety. There is merit in going with a guide. An internet search will not give you the insight an experienced one has into the terrain, animal behaviour and what is safe for a visitor.
Expectation And Reality
One might expect the wildlife to present itself in ideal light at the right moment. More often than not you will have put in an hour for a bird at a distance and catch the highlight of the day as you are putting the camera back. The same goes for thinking that costlier equipment is all that is needed for a fine photograph; in truth it is down to knowing your subject and being in a safe position. I was reminded of that when I was in Australia with a tent of my own and a station wagon whose mechanics were something of a mystery. It is a lesson in travel: preparation has a way of trouncing confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have addressed some of the usual questions on ethical practice, national parks and the safe taking of photographs. Be sure to abide by whatever the managing authority has put in place, rules will differ from one site to another.
The 20 60 20 Rule
A sensible way to work is to devote 20 per cent of the time to get ready, 60 per cent to observe and the rest to the actual photography. Do not mistake it for an official regulation of any kind and let it take precedence over park rules or the welfare of the animal.
What Are The Important Safety Precautions?
Have water and first aid to hand, know the weather and lay of the land, ensure you have an exit and inform someone of your intentions. Stick to the track and do not put yourself in a position to feed or handle an animal or go into a den. Where there are crocodiles, heed the warning signs and keep clear of the water as you are told.
Some Typical Mistakes
It is easy to get in too close, be loud, put a flash on or stand in the way of other visitors. One might also count on a phone signal that is not there. Or pursue a tight shot when a wider environmental view would be more telling.
Rules For National Parks
You can usually photograph in public areas of a park but there are restrictions in force for commercial work, drones, cultural and breeding sites, permits and so on. Verify the regulations for the location in question prior to arrival.
Penguins And Flash
Do not use it. Follow what is posted at the site and keep to the designated area so as not to impede the penguins. If the staff put a stop to it, then put the camera away.
An Exercise In Restraint
There is no substitute for patience and preparation in the best of Australian wildlife photography. Give the animals their space and leave some things to be seen rather than put through a lens. You may end up with fewer pictures but they will be of a better sort and the memory of it will be worth it. Respect your fellow visitors and the habitat, remove your rubbish and let the wildlife be wild.
