Anyone who follows this blog knows that I have amassed a large number of landscape photos over the years. Ill equipped and too impatient to attempt wildlife photography, I settle for images that illustrate the ecosystems that I explore.
Nevertheless, I remain ambivalent about their value and have become convinced that nature photography can detract from the experience of exploring wild areas and enjoying the resident wildlife. Just yesterday, I watched as a couple in our condo complex became obsessed with taking video and photos of a dolphin that had wandered into this portion of Sarasota Bay. Trying their best to capture the dolphin when it surfaced, they were running up and down the seawall, disappearing into their condo at times to change batteries or memory cards. Meanwhile, the visiting cetacean made lazy figure-eights, slicing through the calm water as he chased his prey, no doubt aware of the frenzied humans on the wall.
These days, most of us have a smart-phone camera in our pocket or backpack at all times and are tempted to photograph any scene or event that captures our attention. Wandering through a nature preserve, our ability to immerse ourselves in its sights, sounds and smells is constantly challenged by the impulse to document the visit. Though the photos may entice others to explore our parks or refuges, the act of collecting those images can detract from our own experience. Memories of natural ecosystems should arise from the emotions that they illicit, not from the photos that we take home.
