Remember that respecting the habitat and the bird’s welfare is the number one ethical rule for anyone enjoying the activity of birding or photography. [More → the EwA Birding Etiquette]

Photograph:

• the entire bird as well as in relation to its surrounding to have a sense of size
• side view and close-ups of head, beak, feet are identification keys
• its habitat: this is an important identification key for hard to identify bird species

Film:

Think about taking video snaps of what they are doing. Bird behavior helps a lot in the process of identification, as a bird can behave in very unique ways depending on its species.

Chances are that you might even catch a call or a song in the process. And when it comes to birds, soundscapes are golden for distinguishing among hard to identify species within bird families. Finches and sparrows are perfect illustrations of this!

Here, for example, are the songs of 2 sparrows that can be hard to identify from afar: a chipping sparrow and an American tree sparrow. Do you hear the difference?

• Head: Rusty cap, white stripe over eye, black line through eye
• Breast: Plain, no streaks or dark central spot

• Head: Rusty cap, the bill is dark above and yellow below
• Breast: Plain with a dark central spot

Birding Tips:

• Walk slowly. Don’t sneak up: it is a predator behavior that will stress the bird and get it on alert.
• Stay at a distance & zoom in. Like any other animals, distance is key. Being too close stresses the bird, and even might trigger alarm behavior. Use your camera zoom instead.
• Don’t focus on the bird: the camera zoom can be perceived as a threat. Take your time, once the bird realizes that you ‘are safe’, it will relax.
• Bird in flight! Use the “sports” or “continuous shots” mode of your camera. If your camera has a viewfinder, use it: it’s easier to follow a bird this way. Point your camera at the bird getting it in the middle of the viewfinder or screen. Using your whole body – not just your neck and shoulders – follow the bird trying to keep it in the center. And… press the shutter! Hold that shutter down (in continuous mode). 📷 Example: Clear snap of a Red-tail hawk in flight »

Quick Note about Unethical Bird Photography

Some photographers indulge in unethical practice pictures for the purpose of getting “better” pictures. Such practices include baiting (attract a bird with food), flushing (chasing, brusque movement to get another angle photo of the bird), interrupting what the bird is doing (to entice the bird to move to have another shot)… All these constitute unacceptable behavior going against our etiquette and the recommendations of experts.

Remember to watch where you step. When you’re taking photos, it’s easy to trample other plants without noticing. Avoid cutting the plant to take a picture.

Photograph:

• the plant as a whole
• when in bloom, take photos of the flowers from different angles: top, side and bottom
• close-up of the front and back of the leaves
• don’t forget the stem
• any fruits, seeds, buds, if available or other interesting features.
• the surroundings – what other plants and natural features are nearby?

Other tips:

• give a sense of the size and scale of the different elements (leaf, flower, seed, buds) with your hand or a ruler
• if your camera is having trouble focusing, put your hand right behind the plant and focus on your hand
• use only one plant per observations (i.e., avoid taking pictures from a different individual plant)
• 4-6 pictures per observation are best
• take a moment to just look, smell, and enjoy!

FLOWER & BUDS: They can look very different, depending on your angle. Take photos from different angles. Try to catch all the interesting features including petal count & symmetry, the texture of the bud.

• 📷 Example: Feature & symmetry »
• 📷 Example: Different parts »
• 📷 Example: Different angles »

LEAF: Is the leaf simple (one part) or complex (multi-part)? Is the edge smooth or toothed (jagged)? How are the leaves arranged on the stem?

• 📷 Example: Whorled arrangement »
• 📷 Example: Compound leaf »
• 📷 Example: Single leaf »

STEM: Is the stem round or square? How are the leaves and flowers arranged? Are there hairs, thorns, residue, or other interesting features?

• 📷 Example: Square stem »
• 📷 Example: Interesting twisted stem »

Follow the tips for photographing a non-woody plant and add to that… A tree has important features to show other than leaves, buds, and flowers, such as its bark and root systems. Don’t forget them…

Photograph:

• the tree/shrub as a whole, showing its shape and tree crown, including its base (and roots)
• its bark −are there some lenticels showing?
• when in bloom, take photos of the flowers from different angles: top, side and bottom
• close-up of the front and back of the leaves and their stem
• any fruits, seeds, buds, if available or other interesting features
• the surroundings – are there some fungi residing on it or at its base, what other plants surround the tree or are hosted by the tree?

Other tips:

• give a sense of the size and scale of the different elements (leaf, flower, seed, bud, lenticelle, bark) with your hand or a ruler. 📷 Example: Sassafras fruit (with hand for size) »
• if your camera is having trouble focusing, put your hand right behind the element and focus on your hand
• 4-6 pictures per observation are best

Remember to watch where you step. When you’re taking photos, it’s easy to trample plants and fungi without noticing. Avoid uprooting a fungus to take a picture: we discourage ‘picking’ because that will not only will kill the mushroom but will also have a negative effect on the ecosystem of which the mushroom is a very important part. If one has to collect for a scientific study, then do not collect a specimen when this is the only one in that area.

Photograph:

• the mushroom as a whole (side photo may be best).
  • 📷 Example: A complete pic set of a non-gilled fungus (shape, underside, and cap) »
• the cap from above.
  • 📷 Example: A complete pic set of a gilled fungus »
• its underside of the cap (to see if it there are gills, pores, teeth, etc.) is very useful, if possible. Do not pick the fungus to get the picture, use a mirror instead, slide it underneath, and take a picture of the reflection.
  • 📷 Example: A complete pic set of a shelf fungus »
• its stem (look if a ring is present)
  • 📷 Example: with stipe (stem) and ring »
  • 📷 Example: no stem »
• any other interesting features you notice
• its environment: what is nearby? Does it grow on (a host) or next to a deciduous or a coniferous tree, or on lichens bed?

A Note about spores: Some fungi cannot be identified without a spore print or staining, which is not always possible in the field. Still, we discourage uprooting mushrooms for safety/toxicity reasons, as well as for avoiding the risk of uprooting an endangered specimen (a very few are listed as endangered, yet the low numbers of endangered fungi are likely due to the fact that it is almost impossible for us to monitor fungal populations).

Remember that respecting the habitat and the welfare of the animal is the number one ethical rule for anyone enjoying the activity of observing wildlife and photographing it. [More → the EwA Wildness Etiquette]

Photograph:

• Photograph the entire animal.
• Take photos of its habitat / the surrounding environment.
• If the animal is a social animal, don’t forget to document the animal within its group.
  • 📷 Example: Mountain gorilla with observation annotation relating to its group »
• Photos of tracks and scat (animal poop) are helpful. 📷 Example: Tracks »
• If you find bones, take a photo with your hand or this ruler for scale.

Many entomologists don’t think twice about killing an insect for the greater purpose of classifying it. Is it even controversial? Not at this moment, probably because it’s not even thought about. Yet in light of the rapid decline of insect populations worldwide, and simply because they don’t deserve to die for our picture, we strongly encourage leaving that bug alone. Tread lightly, just take the pic you can…

Photograph:

• the entire insect / spider / egg (clutch) / larva / nymph / pupa
• top, side, and close-up of the face are helpful
• if it has visible or spread wings, photograph its wing veins
• 2-3 pictures per observation when possible are best
• its habitat: where it has landed or what it is resting on

 📷 Example: A complete pic set (side, face, top) of an Aerial yellow-jacket »

The Butterfly & Moth case: For most lepidopterans, a simple dorsal shot (open wings) and ventral shot  (underside of wings) will suffice. If you cannot get both, always get a dorsal shot (open wings). This type of photography will allow you to identify the insect in question almost every time. As stated above, a photo of the wings open is often a lot more valuable than the bottom side of the wings. This is because most of the important markings are found on the top side. Some species do have markings that make them identifiable on the bottom sides of the wings. A few species will very rarely open their wings to show the dorsal portion (sulphurs, whites, coppers, blues), for these a ventral shot is often ok as they are IDable.

Here are examples of good single pictures of butterflies:

• 📷 Example: A dorsal shot of a Tiger swallowtail »
• 📷 Example: A ventral shot of a White peacock »

In some cases, to get a good, recognizable photograph you might need to handle a specimen. Amphibians and reptiles are under the lethal threats of harmful diseases that we can spread by contact. It is imperative to proper handling protocol. [More → the EwA Herping Etiquette]

Photograph:

• the entire animal
• its habitat
• if it is a snake, try to get close-up pictures of its head and tail, but put safety first as it could be venomous.

FROGS: Virtually all frogs can be identified by a three-quarter view, where you are slightly above and off to one side of the animal. This view will show the most identifying features, such as a mask, spots, warts, and dorso-lateral folds.

SALAMANDERS: Most salamanders are easily identified from a photograph that is taken directly above them. Since most species are small, try to get as close as your lens will allow. Try to show all legs. It is best to place the salamander on a neutral-colored background (a leaf, light bark, or backpack) for contrast. A picture of the underside is helpful for the identification of some species. 📷 Example of a salamander larva with ruler for size »

TURTLES: Most of the time a good picture of the top shell (carapace) will suffice. The young of some species of turtles have a different pattern from the adults, so be sure to get a clear shot. A picture of the bottom shell (plastron) is also recommended.

SNAKES: As a group, snakes have a wide variation in colors and patterns, even within members of the same species. Hatchling and juvenile snakes can be dramatically different from adults in color and pattern, and some species have various color morphs as adults. It is best to photograph from above from as close (and safe) a position as possible.