Nature photography has undergone a huge transformation in the last few years with the rise of different social media platforms and digital technology that made much easier to take photos. More and more people are photographing in nature, many of them without wilderness ethics, which leads to the destruction of some natural locations. We nature photographers have the responsibility to educate people about the sustainable, low impact ways to do photography in nature. That’s why Nature First was created. This is an Alliance for Responsible Nature Photography and 7 Principles were developed to help educate and guide both professional and recreational photographers:
- Prioritize the well-being of nature over photography.
- Educate yourself about the places you photograph.
- Reflect on the possible impact of your actions.
- Use discretion if sharing locations.
- Know and follow rules and regulations.
- Always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them.
- Actively promote and educate others about these principles
I’m a proud member of Nature First. If you believe in these principles, you can join to this movement too.
This photo of a Eurasian kingfisher is one of my first wildlife images. It was taken in 2004 on Fuji Velvia film with a Canon EOS 30V camera and a Canon 300mm lens. I photographed this bird ethically somewhere inland Somogy. It’s an old Hungarian phrase that photographers use when they don’t want to share the location of the photograph. 😉
