photoxelsIs feeding killer whales to lure them closer to your boat so you can film them ethical? A U.S. marine biologist did just that and was fined $12,500.
Is it OK to pass off a tame wolf as a wild one to win a Natural History Museum Photographer of the Year award? How about staging a photo about ivory poaching using tusks borrowed from wildlife authorities? Or, suggesting that a polar bear den in a zoo was actually in the wild?
Is it always wrong to feed or handle an animal to benefit a film or photo? Is moving an animal over a foot or two, for a prettier backdrop, a big deal?
Some of the most famous wildlife moments caught on film are probably baited or staged. Throw in digital manipulation and you wonder whether the masterpiece you are watching is in fact real.
National Geographic has an interesting interview with professional photographer Jeff Hogan on the ethics of wildlife photography and film-making. Jeff has been shooting wildlife for over 30 years.
Read the interview at: National Geographic.
