« Mauro’s Moments – Canon 1D Mark IV – Buy Fresh Buy Local | Main | Tanzania, Africa – 2010 – Workshop Research »
Truth in Photography
By mauromedia | April 8, 2010
Photographed in the Wild
TRUTH IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Sometimes, something strikes you as too good to be true and this was one of those instances. Looking at the photo in question at the time of it’s winning, I questioned if the story was as reported. Now, I know. Read this article and judge for yourself.
Throughout my career, I’ve made it a point to only photograph creatures in the wild, i.e. non-captives. Anyone can go to a wildlife farm and get a good photo of a wolf or mountain lion . . . but it is quite a feat to capture an image of one in the wild. I took this photo of a mountain lion several years ago. One of the clues indicating it is a non-captive mountain lion, is it’s weight. Captive animals are generally hand fed and tend to be overweight rather than lean, having a ready food supply and a limited area in which to exercise over their wild counterparts. Do you think there really are overweight mountain lions out in the wild? I have seen 7 mountain lions in their native habitats over the years and I can honestly say I have never seen a fat one. In addition, if this were a captive subject that I had control over or the opportunity to get multiple shots of, I would have never shot this image with a stick going right through the middle of the frame. But it was the only shot I had, and it was truly a once in a lifetime shot, of indeed, a non-captive, wild animal.
If you are going to shoot captive animals, let the viewers know it’s a captive animal or situation. Truth not only in advertising, but in photography as well, speaks to integrity.
Topics: Wildlife | No Comments »