Only Take Photos, Leave Only Footprints

It's almost become a cliche, but 'Only Take Photos, Leave Only Footprints' is the mantra that anyone taking photos of wildlife should observe at all times.

The idea is that you do not damage the environment or the creatures that you are photographing. You take as much care as possible and realise that your photo is less important than what you are photographing.

The photo above is an excellent example of this. It was taken in Wasgamuwa National Park in Sri Lanka.

A few days before, we had visited the same group of elephants, intending to observe and photograph them for scientific/identification purposes. For some unknown reason they were very restless and disturbed. Although we may not have been the problem, Harsha our guide (pictured) decided we should leave immediately to avoid disturbing them even more.

By contrast, the day this photo was taken, we were parked for two hours observing, with only minimal impact on the elephants. A couple times the Matriarch circled the vehicle looking in the windows, but she appeared unbothered, and the rest of the herd ignored us.

A week later I was in Wilpattu National Park as the customer of another guide. On this occasion several elephants appeared to mock charge whenever we got within maybe 50 yards of them. The guide on that occasion repeatedly encroached into what appeared to me to be their comfort zone. It may have been totally harmless, but I wasn't happy with the impact we seemed to be having, so insisted we leave them alone.


Of course my own comfort and safety is a different matter altogether. Although I haven't yet placed myself in any serious danger, I have over the past 10 years:

- Been pick-pocketed while taking Travel Photos on the Moscow Metro,
- Been knocked over by a running Baboon at a campsite in the Serengeti,
- Been feasted on by mosquitoes throughout Africa and while photographing Bears in Finland,
- challenged my fear of heights by spending a night in a Tree house in Sri Lanka hoping to view elephants
- been a passenger three times (fear of heights again) in a micro-light over Victoria Falls
- been on foot within about 30 yards of Rhinos in Zambia, Hippos in Kenya, as well as kayaking close to hippos and crocodiles during a thunderstorm in Zimbabwe

No photo is more important than the environment or wildlife being photographed, but a great photo would be worth risking my own safety for. :-)