Shooting captive wildlife such as this fox image from the British Wildlife Centre is something of a problem for me, but should it be that way?
To me, wildlife photography should mean just that, the animals are wild. Not only does that test your photographic abilities, but also tests your fieldcraft skills. So the decent images that result are doubly pleasing.
But more and more we are moving away from that ideal to a greater or lesser degree. I'd never post an image shot in a zoo, but somehow this one seems different. Is it because the centre was closed to the public and just a small group of photographers were given access to the actual enclosures with the animals? The images are much easier to come by (if you discount inadvertently laying in fox poo to get it) because the animals are used to people.
Then we come on to the subject of hides and also the number of staged shots that appear quite regularly.
Even some African safari images are of captive animals, although the vast areas covered by the reserves mean they are essentially wild and they do have to find their own food.
So does any of this really matter? Just like the view on individual images, the answer is subjective. If you get pleasure from the image, it doesn't matter. I know I'll always get the biggest kick out of a decent image of a fully wild animal, but that won't prevent me doing some more captive work. I'm less comfortable with it, but what I will always do is make it clear the animal is captive. Now that is another ethical question entirely!
Good points Ian, there is a point of view that puts the image first, no matter how it was obtained. Another one says could the creature 'be off' if it so wished. Slimbridge is a good point to ponder,, all those Bewick swans are free to go, but choose to stay for the food, much like my garden feeders. Im quite ok with a bit of garden baiting if there's a shot of something good to be had,,, unfortunately, i've got most small woodland birds (garden visitors) 10 times over. Some of the best bird toggers use set-ups, and this is probably the best way to get good results. Birds can fly, which makes them pretty hard to chase, so i see little harm in bringing them to you with a bit of grub. Its actually a business for some people now with Kite feeding making big bucks. As always, you have to be very careful around rare species in the breeding season,,,, goes without saying. A few years ago i wanted to throw out a dead rabbit roadkill to photograph buzzards, but the place that presented itself was on a protected site. I asked permission, and they refused, saying they didn't approve of baiting. Up to a point i did understand their POV, because some people capture birds of prey that way, and some people kill birds of prey that way. However, i suspected duplicity when a month or two later, a certain famous 'name' togger was allowed to do just that on one of their reserves. I could go on and on, but i need to bath,,, yes even i do that. Cheers Frank.
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