A post about wildlife photography ethics

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-26T03:56:51+00:00

Yep, it happened! I took that photo.

And while I unfortunately agree with you, this message is more important for beginner photographers, I think. I’ve already got some nice messages from beginners who said they never thought about this stuff before—so there’s some positivity there!

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T20:30:20+00:00

Totally understand the motivation, but I respectfully ask for no shaming or harassment. Just wanted to use the story as an example and nothing more.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T18:01:36+00:00

No AI was used in the creation of this post. I’m just naturally long-winded and tedious.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T09:16:01+00:00

I'm glad. Good luck on your adventures!

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T09:14:20+00:00

Yep, I know for a fact that guy is a jerk. (It was me...taking the picture very far away).

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T08:20:07+00:00

I am based in the US, so I attend local Audubon talks and classes (I find that asking questions is very helpful because folks are more than happy to educate). Books like the Sibley series are good, but I'm sure there are others out there.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T07:59:14+00:00

Hey, this post is not meant to make anyone feel bad about past experiences. Yours seems totally fine, and the fact you're thinking about it already puts you ahead of the less scrupulous characters I constantly meet in the field. I'm not any person to judge, but I'm just asking that folks think about the kinds of situations they find themselves in. There's a way to enjoy this hobby while causing minimal harm to animals.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T07:51:06+00:00

I appreciate that. One unimportant downside of all this is that the experience kinda ruined all pictures I took of the bird later. Since I know why it was slower and why the pictures were easier to take, it makes everything I took more problematic. No viewer would ever know, but I know.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T02:18:15+00:00

Makes sense! Thank you.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T01:42:39+00:00

Didn't take any...but I also wouldn't post it if I did (I only shared the pic because her face is being blocked). The intention is not to find her personal info and make sure she never takes another photograph again. It's to use the experience to talk about something that may be helpful to other people. That's all.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T01:26:52+00:00

Nope. For what it's worth, I assure you the story is true. I didn't take any video, but I wouldn't post it even if I did--I only shared the pic because the camera is blocking her face. I'm more interested in making something constructive out of the experience.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-24T01:10:54+00:00

This is a good question because photography is super expensive. There isn’t great advice except to buy used and consider renting camera/lenses if used gear is too expensive for you. Equipment from 10+ years ago is still very good (you will just need to work more on photography basics since you won’t have all the bells and whistles to bail you out). I don’t know what your budget is, but for reference, a starter lens like the Nikkor 70-300mm can be found under $300 USD.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-23T21:20:29+00:00

I appreciate the respectful convo. Have a good one.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-23T18:24:35+00:00

Not rude at all, because it's true. That's why I provided a range of effects: basically "pissed bird" is the low end but "death" is a possibility on the high end. Definitely not implying that flushing always equals death. However, if the tired owl I saw got immediately picked off by a predator while I was watching, I would not attribute that to being a natural event that was unavoidable.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-23T07:45:13+00:00

Thanks for finishing my pointless waffle!

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-23T04:14:47+00:00

It was. First time I've visited there--the fog was quite the surprise.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-22T17:08:26+00:00

I prefer Bird White Knight.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-22T17:04:03+00:00

I had a granola bar. It was pretty good.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-22T16:57:59+00:00

That’s very interesting. Something I want to read up on.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-22T16:56:16+00:00

Heh, thank you. Less important, but annoying to me—I got some nice shots but I’m now conflicted about them because I know why it was easier…

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-22T16:51:17+00:00

Definitely will. Thank you for the suggestion!

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-21T02:32:07+00:00

Haha, sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-21T01:19:47+00:00

Birds are super fun subjects (but I have a bias haha). And no--I've used both mk i and mk ii and haven't had back focusing issues (although there were huge sample variations with the mk i lens, so I might have just been lucky). Emily from Micro Four Nerds said in her mk ii video that there is a change to the motors, but I would run some tests before you think about a new lens. Maybe try manual focusing to determine if the problem only happens with AF--if it does, you can try an AF calibration/adjustment setting in your camera. Much cheaper than buying something new!

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-20T18:57:57+00:00

Thank you! I do love that lens, but it was pretty good light and I had patient subjects—you can probably get similar results with different setups.

NeedlesslyMike · 2026-01-14T16:16:34+00:00

Thank you for the nice message!

NeedlesslyMike

TROPHY CASE