Responsible Spring Photography Tips
Mar 30 Written By Alyce Bender
A field of Indian paintbrushes and bluebonnets photographed using a telephoto lens (Tamron 50-400mm for Sony e-mount) in Central Texas.
Spring brings with it the beauty bursting around each hill and across the fields and migrating songbirds returning to fill the skies and woodlands. Here in Texas, the famous and well-loved Texas Bluebonnet is often hunted like a rare jewel during the few weeks each year it blooms across the state. With all the crazy amounts of precipitation parts of the west have received, super bloom conditions are starting to emerge, and if the seeds haven’t washed away, more above average bloom locations are bound to start popping up as more northern locations come out of winter.
These stunning yet fleeting displays of natural beauty sing a siren’s call to photographers and nature lovers of all ages and from all parts of the country. Yet, frequently, these locations are not used to such visitation and can be sensitive to excessive use. The following are some basic guidelines to help you make the most of your spring wildflower photography while helping ensure there will be just as many if not more in the future.
1. Stay on trail. Crushing or damaging flowers can harm future generations of the flowers as well as local pollinator food sources this season. This is also frequently a legal regulation when in areas such as state or private parks.
2. Don’t post coordinates. This can lead to others who are not as thoughtful in how they photograph these natural beauties to visit and damage the existing beauty. Consider using just general areas like the town or county where the image was taken if you want to be more specific than just the state.
3. Respect private property. This is a big thing as anyone who has lived in Texas or Florida knows. Don’t cross fence lines or enter peoples’ yards without permission for photos. Not having a fence does not equate to public property either, and assumptions should not be made. Not only does this type of behavior give photographers a bad rap, but it can be a serious personal safety issue and have legal ramifications. I have known fields that were plowed under, acres and acres of beautiful native flowers, gone because the property owners were tired of photographers trespassing and creating liability issues for them. So, they got rid of the attractant. A whole lot of plants died, and there were that fewer food resources for pollinators.
A field of various yellow wildflowers with scattered bluebonnets. Note the fence line in the background. This was taken while standing on the shoulder of a back road at the corner of a large field. I rarely, if ever, include people’s personal homes or buildings as this can be viewed as intrusive even if it is not illegal. Captured with the Sony A1 and Tamron 50-400mm for Sony e-mount.
Instead consider these tips for creating beautiful images without damaging the flowers or needing to trespass.
1. Use a telephoto lens to compress the scene and allow yourself to work from the fringes of wildflower patches. I love using my Tamron 50-400mm lens for Sony e-mount and use it extensively for this subject.
2. Utilize the beautiful wild spaces that are open to the public such as state and local parks or gardens. Visit some of the smaller towns and find quiet public greenspaces that are full of flowers but not visitors.
3. Share the wealth! When sharing your images, consider sharing those from smaller towns across your state or region, so that visitors get an idea of where to go but specific, more well known, fields don’t get overwhelmed with traffic. Not only does this help bring visitors to explore overlooked areas of the state, but it helps alleviate the heavy use of just a few most popular locations.
Two reddish egrets court and the female aggressively takes the offered nesting material from the male. This image was taken from a boat off the shoreline of a rookery island in San Antonio Bay (TX). Utilizing a Tamron 150-500mm for Sony e-mount on a Sony A1 allowed for ethical photography conditions and close-up images of the activity. This image was further cropped in post-production to really allow the viewer to experience the moment between these two birds.
Speaking of popular locations, across the south spring brings with it the bustling of photographers eager to photograph nesting shorebirds and wading bird rookeries; while “fall out” locations along the Gulf Coast are inundated by not only the wary avian migrants but also human visitation to see them. It is important to understand how vulnerable small birds, like buntings, warblers, grosbeaks, and other birds that have made the 600-mile Gulf crossing, are at this time. Additional stress from observers and photographers can mean life or death to these tiny songsters. Consider following these tips in order to capture images while looking out for the wellbeing of your subjects. This way you can capture beautiful songbird images while allowing them to go on to their breeding grounds for others to enjoy and to create more little songbirds.
1. Use a long lens. This helps to avoid having to approach too closely be it to photograph an oystercatcher nest or a migrating indigo bunting. Lenses with a range of 500mm or more are ideal. My go to is the Tamron 150-500mm for Sony e-mount or the Tamron 150-600mm G2 for DSLRs.
2. Go slow. Finding a spot to sit and photograph from is much less stressful for the birds then having to follow them around. With migrating passerines, find a food or water source and post up for a while. A single mulberry free can offer hours of feeding behavior opportunities. For shorebirds, locating a nesting beach, and then sitting quietly at least 25 yards (75ft) from the outer edges of their colony is best according to the Audubon Guide to Ethical Bird Photography.
3. Avoid creating sounds. This includes utilizing any sort of electronic playbacks. Whether the sound startles the bird or calls it closer to investigate, it creates a situation where the bird is having to react to you and burn calories it doesn’t necessarily have to use responding just so you can capture a photo.
Overall, spring is a beautiful time to be in nature with a lot going on that creates eye catching images. But enjoy responsibly!
Working with a Nikon D500 and the Tamron 150-600mm G2, I was able to sit near this mulberry tree and capture a wide array of newly arrived songbirds, such as the indigo bunting pictured here, as they gorged on the fruit to replenish the calories they had just burned crossing the Gulf of Mexico from Central and South America.
