HOW TO ACT
If you are in a national park and are tempted to do something to leave your mark or do something you know is risky, ask yourself, "Who is this for? Me? Why am I doing it? What is the benefit of completing this idea?"
If you don't have an answer that rings true with your moral compass, give it a pass. Find another way to express yourself.
Another approach is to be deliberate. Make your own personal plan about what you want from your photo adventure.
We all have a mission, even if we've never written it down or spoken it aloud. I suggest before heading out into the wild, work on your artistic mission statement.
We were inspired by the mission statement (which you can read in its original form at the bottom of this page) of Thomas Mark Szelog, a photographer who is documenting the proposed new national park in the North Maine Woods. His statement describes exactly the sort of sentiment we should all have when we step anywhere into the great outdoors.
When I venture into the northern Maine forest I am fully aware that I am a guest in a house and home. And as any visitor into a home should, I behave properly. The denizens of the forest are no different than the human denizens of a city. The wildlife must seek food, water, and shelter. They use their home, the forest, to sleep, eat, rest, and reproduce and raise their families. I would not deny the right of a person to thrive in their home, nor would I deny the same for the wild creatures of the woods. ...
Mankind will never improve upon the beauty of Mother Nature. No manipulation of my photographs, or any use of computer or digital technology will make my images better. What nature allows me to see through my camera viewfinder is already outstanding. Mother Nature deserves all of the credit for the beauty in my photographs.
Wildlife photography is more than creating art, it is capturing an experience. — Thomas Mark Szelog
There is a power in writing down (and sharing!) a commitment. Try it. Write five sentences detailing who, what, where, when and how you will seek and apply your photographic vision. Here is my first crack at it:
I, Matt Hill, choose to make art in the wilds of America's National Parks. I choose this because the natural beauty invokes awe and creative energy in me. I harness and focus this energy by applying the non-destructive media of light and time to make long-exposure photographs of night scenes. I adhere to the Leave No Trace Principles and share my photography so that it may inspire others to enjoy these spaces firsthand.
I challenge you to leave your personal version in the comments if you will. If you want to use mine and adjust it slightly, no worries! I would be honored.
Please choose to honor the natural beauty instead of modifying it. As Chris Nicholson has said to me in conversation, "The parks are our subject and inspiration, not our canvas." Well put, Chris.
