How Wildlife Photos Make a Better World

We have all done it. Taken our phone, camera, or camcorder and “shot some footage” of the great outdoors. Then got really excited to show others what we saw and shared the moment with them. But why do it at all? Why take something and share the experience?

It seems we have been doing this for years. Caveman used his art to inspire those in his tribe, show what animals to hunt and to tell stories. The Egyptians and Romans placed art of their love of foreign lands and animals where ever they ventured. In 1492 news spread of the new world. In the 1600’s Siberia was explored. I still see black and white photos cropping up when visitors to the African continent came to hunt and stare at the animals never seen before.

We all like a good picture and if it has an animal in it, we seem to be thrilled even more so. The intrigue and wonder within out minds begins to get fuelled. We want to know what it does, where it lives and why is it doing what it is doing in the picture.

When I first saw the Bird of Paradise mating dance, I was blown away. The bright colours, the hopping along the branch and all in front of the female. Flashes of electric blue and shiny black feathers dance back and forth in the light. I was enthralled.

When I saw a picture of a Pangolin, I was so amazed I immediately went out in search for more information. What were the scales made from? Can it really curl up into a ball? How tiny are the young and where do they hide? Where do they live and what brings them together. All those questions from a single photo. My mind ran wild.

Today we have the best defence for keeping wildlife in our minds, our smart phones and their cameras. Already TV shows encourage us to take photos of birds in our garden or to send in images of butterflies that we may have seen. We are caught in the excitement of it all. Who can resist a puffed up Red Robin flitting about the garden?

The more we photograph, the more our precious wildlife has a chance of creating a better world. We will come to respect it. That life for some animals are at the very extremes of our planet. The Polar Bear or Thorny Devil bring images to my mind and I want to see them again. As we look and study what we see through a lens we begin to understand how it fits into our world, and we can see how we have our place too.

Our world is so beautiful and the variety we have is incredible, so share the moments you have. Enjoy them for yourself and pass them around to your friends and family. Share the wonder of our planet and the precious life that lives here, for when it has gone, we will only talk of the past. We will not be able to bring it back and those moments and stories will die with them too.

Fancy some tips on better photos, I wrote video and photography tips to help out.

Do you have some amazing shots to share, send them in and I’ll put them in the gallery with your name in lights!