Ethical photography

Our focus on ethical photography

Photography is more than just capturing an image; it’s a captivating composition of light and shadows that can tell a story, uncover a kaleidoscope of perspectives, reflect our experiences and evoke nostalgia.

With the rise of social media and the accessibility to cameras at the back of our smartphones, photography has become more democratized than ever before.

Now, for the sake of the perfect shot or new profile pic, it seems everything is fair game. Tourists and photographers are intruding into the environments they visit, calling to animals to get their attention, getting too close and unsettling nature, or photographing locals without their consent.

It’s time to adopt a code of conduct for tourism and wildlife photography, and it’s called ethical photography.

Every guest with a camera has a duty of care

We believe that, as photographers and travelers, it’s our responsibility to tread gently, respecting the boundaries between us, our lens, our wild subjects and the habitats they call home.

Ethics in nature photography is a practice that respects both the subject and its habitat. It involves a considered approach toward capturing images without causing harm, distress or disruption to the animal or their ecosystem.

When photographing people, ethical photography means being honest with your subject, respecting their wishes and getting their consent, fairly representing them, and not exploiting their circumstances.

In short, ethical photography asks that photographers follow the simple principle of ‘do no harm’.

Aperture Travel’s approach to ethical photography

As part of our commitment to conservation, we strictly adhere to ethical photography principles on all Aperture Travel safaris and actively champion these principles throughout the industry:

We keep our distance

We do not get close enough to animals to make them feel threatened or anxious by our presence. In addition, we do not position our vehicle in such a manner that it intentionally alters an animal’s movement or trajectory.

We stay in the safari vehicle

Leaving a safari vehicle is both dangerous to the individual, animals and the environment. Human presence has the potential to cause stress for nearby animals and could provoke aggressive behavior. Our trained guides ensure that our guests remain in the vehicle at all times, unless they’re on a walking safari that is carefully curated.

We don’t use flash

Using flash photography can startle or disorientate an animal. That’s why we do not use flash photography on our safari experiences.

We don’t use bird calls or animal calls to lure wildlife

Different animal and bird vocalizations have specific purposes. They could be an alert to a predator, a mate, or territorial threat. Calls can be stressors or designed to create a quick shift in animal behavior. For these reasons, we do not use bird or animal calls to lure wildlife during our safaris.

We use local guides who know local wildlife sounds and body language

Local guides are experts at interpreting the behaviors and sounds of local wildlife, helping you understand if an animal is in distress and how to give them more space.

We collaborate with those who share our values

We only partner with lodges, guides and trackers who adhere to ethical photography principles. Meet some of our partners.

We train the next generation of guides and rangers on ethical photography

Tayla McCurdy, Aperture Travel’s co-founder and Head of Operations, is a passionate wildlife photographer (have a look at her Instagram). She delivers educational photography courses for safari guides who work at our partner accommodations to help embed more sustainable practices across the industry.

Tip: Use a telephoto lens to get great photos at a distance

In many cases, your safari vehicle will be placed a good distance away from any animals you are photographing. The best way to get incredible photography at a distance is to use a long camera lens, known as a telephoto lens, allowing you a close-up view without disturbing wildlife.

Already own quality camera gear?

We’re happy to discuss what you photography gear you own and advise you on what to bring. Baggage weight limits can be quite strict, particularly on internal flights, so it’s important to bring only the gear you need.

Don’t have a telephoto lens or want to try out better gear?

We coordinate photography gear rentals with many of our lodging partners. Borrow the gear you need (or want to try – without the commitment to buy it, though you’ll get a nice discount if you do want to purchase something).