Ecotourism

   The themes of all the articles revolved around the central idea of ecotourism. That is, tourism that doesn't involve disturbing the wildlife in the area or their habitats. One article discussed a series of experiments to observe how a female anole responded to the effects of a photographer, such as sounds of a shutter or a lens focusing or zooming in, or the light stimulus of a flash going off. A couple articles gave tips on how to avoid disturbing wildlife, and  an article posed the question: Does Nature Photography matter?.

   The first article was about experiments to test how a photographer really effects the natural ways of an organism. In this case, a female anole was observed. This animal was chosen for her ability to sense auditory and visual stimuli (a bright flash and the snap of a shutter of a camera). After all of the testing of these stimuli (separately, not as a whole photographer and his equipment) it was found that the anole decreased their display, and perceived the stimuli to be threatening, and reacting in an antipredator way.

    Negative effects of tourism were discussed in the articles as well. Behaviors such as boating, chasing the animals, feeding the animals, and/or distracting the animals are detrimental to the well-being of the animals, and can cause problems such as disrupting eating cycles, distracting mothers from their young, and disturbing the availability of natural food (food the animal would catch on its own).

   There are also some positive aspects to tourism. These include habitat restoration, conservative breeding to help maintain a dying species to be later released into the wild, financial donations (aiding in conservation efforts), and research opportunities. It also  promotes the tourists to travel with a guide, someone who is knowledgeable in the behaviors and cycles of the animals to help ensure they are not disturbed by the tourists.

   It's also important to do all you can to maintain the natural settings of the habitats of the animals you are photographing. Ways to do this include using a good lens to allow you to zoom into your shot and maintain a good distance between you and your subject to decrease the chance of disturbance, not using bait to keep their normal eating habits in tact, and respecting the animals in general.

   The last article asked, "Is Nature Photography Important?". In my opinion, and the author's, yes. It give people insight to sights and views that they wouldn't otherwise get to experience. It also captures the natural beauty of what we already have around us, and breaks us away from always thinking about what we can have that's better, which I think is really important now with all of the technology we have available.