Loooking for guidance.

[Trent Watts]

I wonder what others do for shots of captive animals. For some reason I feel like I am 'cheating' when I get pictures of animals in captivity. The "Saskatoon Forestry Farm" is a local facility that houses a number of different species. These images are from a recent trip where the birds are in wired enclosures. There is some room for them to fly a few feet to stretch their wings. It makes for easy shots but I still don't feel fulfilled when I see these caged Bald Eagles and Snowy Owls.
Thoughts?

 

[AlanLichty]

That's likely the only way I am gonna get shots of birds like these. I am not proud at all

 

[JimFox]

Beautiful images Trent!

I don't get to capture birds too often, at least really good birds. I would equate going to a wilderness park like this with having items in your backyard like a bird feeder, etc that brings birds to you that might not otherwise come.

I was at @Eric Gofreed backyard a few years ago, and he has a small bitd blind and a backyard that is very attractive to birds. He let me shoot in that blind for a couple of hours feeling like a kid in a candy store as bird after bird would fly in and land while Doug and Eric sat back and chewed the fat.

Technically that wasn't totally in the wild, but I wouldn't call it cheating... I called it smart and a lot of fun!

There is a place in Arizona called the Bear something, that has a lot of wild animals in it. I know guys from here that have gone there to capture animals. It's a fun and safe way to capture animals. And in many of those types of places, and perhaps like the one up by you, they are a refuge for animals or birds that would have died had they not been there.

So no, I would not call what you did cheating. Just state when you post where the photo came from and you should rest easy. Now if you posted say that photo of the snowy owl but instead of saying you captured it at the refuge, you said you captured it in 20 below zero weather after hiking 4 miles to get to a remote tree to find it, while getting frostbite on your nether regions.... that embellished report would be cheating I think.

I say, visit that place more often! It's not cheating to me. I think it's great photography, because one could never tell these birds were in a cage.

 

[Ken Rennie]

For me it takes away the hunting for the shot element and that is more than half the fun. I am undecided about zoos, yes it allows us to see things that we are unlikely to see and I suppose it partly depends on the enclosure size. Capturing magnificent birds of prey only able to fly a few feet doesn't bother me photographically but I don't think that we should treat them like that. Ken

 

[Beth]

it's a good way to practice your skills, and if you're honest about them being caged then who cares? snowy owls are elusive around my way, usually one or two sighted each year. luckily bald eagles are seen in the dozens in the spring.

 

[Ben Egbert]

I am in Ken,s school

 

[Trent Watts]

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful input.
Ken, you hit it on the head when you commented about hunting for the shot being a large part of the joy.

 

[Eric Gofreed]

Beautiful images Trent!

I don't get to capture birds too often, at least really good birds. I would equate going to a wilderness park like this with having items in your backyard like a bird feeder, etc that brings birds to you that might not otherwise come.

I was at @Eric Gofreed backyard a few years ago, and he has a small bird blind and a backyard that is very attractive to birds. He let me shoot in that blind for a couple of hours feeling like a kid in a candy store as bird after bird would fly in and land while Doug and Eric sat back and chewed the fat.

Technically that wasn't totally in the wild, but I wouldn't call it cheating... I called it smart and a lot of fun!

There is a place in Arizona called the Bear something, that has a lot of wild animals in it. I know guys from here that have gone there to capture animals. It's a fun and safe way to capture animals. And in many of those types of places, and perhaps like the one up by you, they are a refuge for animals or birds that would have died had they not been there.

So no, I would not call what you did cheating. Just state when you post where the photo came from and you should rest easy. Now if you posted say that photo of the snowy owl but instead of saying you captured it at the refuge, you said you captured it in 20 below zero weather after hiking 4 miles to get to a remote tree to find it, while getting frostbite on your nether regions.... that embellished report would be cheating I think.

I say, visit that place more often! It's not cheating to me. I think it's great photography because one could never tell these birds were in a cage.

Bearazona Wildlife Park, Williams Arizona. Great place, with great photo ops. Zoo-like photography and serious photographers call it cheating. I call it fun.
I now use an Ameristep Doghouse Ground Blind @$90 to hide from yard birds, wild birds, and other critters too

 

[Eric Gofreed]

I wonder what others do for shots of captive animals. For some reason I feel like I am 'cheating' when I get pictures of animals in captivity. The "Saskatoon Forestry Farm" is a local facility that houses a number of different species. These images are from a recent trip where the birds are in wired enclosures. There is some room for them to fly a few feet to stretch their wings. It makes for easy shots but I still don't feel fulfilled when I see these caged Bald Eagles and Snowy Owls.
Thoughts?

View attachment 55635View attachment 55636View attachment 55637

Awesome set, Trent. I need both of those birds. I photograph Falconer's birds because I love photographing birds in flight. I also like close-up portraits. It's not like fine art artists don't hire models. However, I do label those photos as captive birds. or falconer's birds.

 

[Douglas Sherman]

Nice images, Trent. I think as long as you tell where the image was taken then it is fine. Too many people get their panties in a bunch about too many things. You are doing it for enjoyment and that's great.