Fall Color Ethics
- The owner of what he described as the “iconic Hope Valley cabin” wrote to us recently complaining of people who “create a general nuisance, trespass all the way to my front door, leave trash, fly drones to my front door and have caused numerous car accidents.”
He asked that we cease publishing any photographs or reports about fall color surrounding his cabin, which sits near state highway 88 in the Hope Valley. We sympathize with his situation, though will continue to report on fall color seen from public roads and lands.
We did pledge, however, to reiterate these ethical standards to which all who appreciate fall color should adhere.
Leave No Trace – There are seven principles to this concept. We’ve adapted them to fit fall color viewing and photography. They include:
- Plan Ahead – by planning, you reduce the chance you might harm the environment you visit; bring the proper equipment to capture the scene sustainably;
- Travel on Durable Surfaces – walk on established trails; use established roads; be cautious not to create new ones or damage the environment;
- Dispose of Waste Properly – carry a litter bag and put all trash into it and it into a trash container; recycle recyclables;
- Leave What You Find – every leaf, branch, stone has a purpose; treasure them by leaving them behind; do not prune foliage for a better picture;
- Minimize Campfire Impacts – Consider fire conditions before starting a fire, only start one when permitted, use only sustainable fuels, use existing fire rings, mind your fire, never leave it smoldering, put it out completely with water and dispose of ashes properly.
- Respect Wildlife – keep your distance; never approach closer than they are comfortable; do not feed or pick up wildlife; travel quietly (except if necessary to warn animals);
- Be Considerate – do not trespass; respect private property; fly drones only where permitted, never over private property; should a drone crash on private property do not retrieve it without permission of the land owner;
To these seven principles, we add these ethical standards of nature and wildlife photography:
- Limit post processing to: cropping, color and white balance correction, and adjusting contrast, highlights, shadows, vibrance, sharpening and sizing;
- Do not stage photographs;
- Do not create composite images;
- Shoot what exists in reality, as you envision it;
- Employ caution when using filters; acceptable are polarizing, split neutral density, star and black and white filters (red, orange, yellow and green) when used appropriately, but warming, cooling, sunset and rainbow filters insert unnatural elements;
- Express your vision, not someone else’s.
Hello John,
Thank you for posting this.
Certainly Leave No Trace is the ethical standard any responsible photographer should know and abide by. And your seven principles are exactly spot-on!
Funny how most people are aware they cannot just trespass on someone else’s property, yet there are some photographers who think this does not apply to their drones. While the laws can be very confusing, in California it is illegal to fly a drone over private property without the owners permission. AB 856 (enacted 10/6/2015), changed Section 1708.8 of the civil code to read:
1708.8. (a) A person is liable for physical invasion of privacy when the person knowingly enters onto the land or into the airspace above the land of another person without permission…
I’ve been photographing Fall colors in the Sierra with my 4×5 camera for many years. I know the excitement of seeing the stunning displays and love interpreting that excitement on film (in B&W actually). But let’s not lose our heads in the excitement and instead take it as a personal creative challenge to work within respectful boundaries.
Keep up the good work, John! Here’s to a wonderful Fall Color Season in California!
Jeff
Excellent post and ethics advice, though unfortunately heeded by few. The past few years certain lakes have been inundated by thoughtless drone operators, and they drop those pesky little buzzer boxes in and out of everyone’s shot without giving it a thought. Most just seem to be hobbyists or inconsiderate tourists. Here’s hoping they see your post!
I’m conflicted about drones flying over public lands. The footage is thrilling, but their noisy intrusion into wild places is an annoyance and an affront to the serenity of wild places. If only the drones were silent – though even then they’re still there in the air.
Certainly, flying a drone over private property, as sadly occurs over the Hope Valley cabin is illegal. I wonder if the property owner has the right to practice skeet with the drones over his property. I wouldn’t blame him if he did.
Regardless, the questions you pose encourage me to investigate the topic more fully with the USFS. JP
There is also the legitimate concern of their potential to start forest fires. Hoping this rain will help protect California from more fires this season and let us safely enjoy the color change your this fall.