Photographing wildlife with respect

I learned to look at the forest before photographing it. In high school I chose the Ecological Tourism specialty and spent seasons inside the Children's Eternal Rainforest; then came the Bachelor's in Ecological Tourism at the University of Costa Rica. That training is what shapes how I work when there's an animal in the frame.

Rules I don't negotiate

• Never feed or call an animal to bring it closer to the lens.
• Distance first: if the animal changes behaviour because of us, we're too close.
• No flash with nocturnal wildlife or with young animals.
• Don't move branches, nests or leaves to 'clean up' the frame.
• Move slowly and speak quietly: most sightings are lost to noise, not bad luck.

The practical consequence is simple: you shoot less and wait more. But the images that come out of that waiting say something real, and the place is just as well off when we leave.