During my 42 years of nature photography mostly in the middle Atlantic and northeast US, I can’t recall one instance where i was confronted with a completely camo photog, head to foot including lens/camera, until 3 weeks ago.
4 years ago, I located a nice location along a stream near a freshwater marsh which attracts early spring warblers, kinglets, and phoebes, below 8 feet and particularly when it’s cool and insects are concentrated near the water.
With gps and social media, this area has now been overrun by tabulating birders (yellow throated warbler) and now an indiscreet “stealth” photographer.
Mind you, this young man was out of Vincent Munier’s playbook in effect; yet, his methodology was incongruous. Rather than picking several optimum locations through observation, he seemed on a stimulant, walking stridently along different paths in an obsessed manner, and when in a reasonable distance from a bird, would lift his 500mm lens, take a few shots (point and shoot) , and move on at a brisk pace. No patience.
I had to laugh as he decided to wade through the creek ending up in a massive group of reeds, and making ridiculous amounts of noise pushing through them.
Then, the other day, when 6 Osprey were feasting on Shad, which required that I be mobile and in a standing position to catch the birds in flight, this young man chose to sit on a special collapsible chair, on the ground for hours, limiting his ability to catch bIf images.
Having had good success optimizing small bird images by patiently observing their behavior first then positioning myself accordingly, this young man rains on my parade, moving injudiciously through my terrain with his obsessed marching gait, never saying a word, and scattering the birds I had worked hard to acclimate to my presence.
I have to think that there is something “off” about this person, who might win a contest with the most concealed identity in the field - a fashion statement- but who seems inevitably to be missing the point of realizing fine quality images. In fact, his methods remind me of misplaced military tactics.
I felt a degree of sympathy for him, but as the best situations in photographing birds require solo work without distraction or interference, I decided not to engage. Unfortunately, the advent of gps and the need to find support on social media by identifying choice locations, has radically reduced my chances of being alone in my efforts.
I have other recent stories of arrogant types with $25k in the newest equipment, violating rules of baiting birds and wading illegally, cursing the birds they are baiting when they are unable to elicit flight behavior, as well cursing any other photogs in the vicinity who try to rain on their efforts ( apparently this person was baiting snowy owls in a middle Atlantic state to elicit flight behavior) - not ethical.
What is causing this unusual behavior in the last several years among our photo companions?
For me, it all seems bizarre. Comments?
4 years ago, I located a nice location along a stream near a freshwater marsh which attracts early spring warblers, kinglets, and phoebes, below 8 feet and particularly when it’s cool and insects are concentrated near the water.
With gps and social media, this area has now been overrun by tabulating birders (yellow throated warbler) and now an indiscreet “stealth” photographer.
Mind you, this young man was out of Vincent Munier’s playbook in effect; yet, his methodology was incongruous. Rather than picking several optimum locations through observation, he seemed on a stimulant, walking stridently along different paths in an obsessed manner, and when in a reasonable distance from a bird, would lift his 500mm lens, take a few shots (point and shoot) , and move on at a brisk pace. No patience.
I had to laugh as he decided to wade through the creek ending up in a massive group of reeds, and making ridiculous amounts of noise pushing through them.
Then, the other day, when 6 Osprey were feasting on Shad, which required that I be mobile and in a standing position to catch the birds in flight, this young man chose to sit on a special collapsible chair, on the ground for hours, limiting his ability to catch bIf images.
Having had good success optimizing small bird images by patiently observing their behavior first then positioning myself accordingly, this young man rains on my parade, moving injudiciously through my terrain with his obsessed marching gait, never saying a word, and scattering the birds I had worked hard to acclimate to my presence.
I have to think that there is something “off” about this person, who might win a contest with the most concealed identity in the field - a fashion statement- but who seems inevitably to be missing the point of realizing fine quality images. In fact, his methods remind me of misplaced military tactics.
I felt a degree of sympathy for him, but as the best situations in photographing birds require solo work without distraction or interference, I decided not to engage. Unfortunately, the advent of gps and the need to find support on social media by identifying choice locations, has radically reduced my chances of being alone in my efforts.
I have other recent stories of arrogant types with $25k in the newest equipment, violating rules of baiting birds and wading illegally, cursing the birds they are baiting when they are unable to elicit flight behavior, as well cursing any other photogs in the vicinity who try to rain on their efforts ( apparently this person was baiting snowy owls in a middle Atlantic state to elicit flight behavior) - not ethical.
What is causing this unusual behavior in the last several years among our photo companions?
For me, it all seems bizarre. Comments?
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