Somehow it has always seemed to me that if we appreciate wildlife, or in my case wild plants, enough that we take photographs of them, does it not follow that we respect them and exercise caution and consideration about our interactions with them? If it is interesting enough to photograph is it not interesting enough to protect? Should we not at least consider the possibility that some of our actions, such as baiting, might negatively affect the objects of our interest?

It would be much easier for me to get the shots I want if I broke the rules - tromped off the marked trail, picked flowers or dug up plants. There are people who do that. There are photographers who pull up and kill a rare plant after photographing it so no one else can get a photo of it! I don't do any of that, anymore that I would vandalize a building or trespass for the sake of a photograph or put a person in harm's way for the sake of a photograph. Now, that said, I will clean debris out of the way of a shot on occasion, so there is no hard and fast set of rules that applies to all actions in all situations. "Man leaves a footprint" as the saying goes. Exactly what sort of footprint we leave is the question. It requires attention, knowledge, thought and respect, and it is an ongoing dynamic issue.

I say that if a subject gains our interest as an object for our photography - especially living things - that subject also deserves our respect and consideration, too. As a general rule, let's err on the side of caution and let's encourage thoughtful discussion about this issue.

Mike