During my one month as an intern at the Crocodile Research Coalition in Belize, I did not take one photo of a crocodile. My group spent most of our nights conducting surveys, searching for the two species of crocodiles present in the Placencia Lagoon to research their populations. We would take a small boat out into the lagoon and use flashlights to spot eyeshine – a bright spot of reddish light bouncing back from the eyes of crocodiles.
Not every survey required us to catch crocodiles, but on some exciting nights, it was necessary for data collection. We measured data like size, weight, and sex that tell us about the health of crocodile populations in the lagoon, as well as taking other samples and measurements to learn more about the two species and the quality of their environments.
I would bring my camera bag onto the boat most nights, preparing photos in my mind for when we’d catch one. But when it came down to the moment, photography would escape my mind. I focused only on data collection of the animal in front of me and getting it back into its habitat with minimal stress.
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The Life of a Researcher
When I’m in the field, research takes up my whole life. The Peruvian Amazon doesn’t sleep. We wake up early to go bird banding (catching birds in mist nets and attaching a small ankle band) and stay up late for herpetology transects (hiking surveys to collect data on reptiles and amphibians).
Meanwhile, there is always something to be photographed. The jungle is filled with beautiful insects, mammals, birds, and herps, awake at all hours. If I were to photograph every spider I saw, I wouldn’t be able to move 25 meters within the hour.
As a photographer, it’s a paradise, but we have data collecting responsibilities. My group is completing a one kilometer transect, where we are recording and taking morphometric data on all the herpetofauna seen. After that’s done, another will follow. Both transects must be done within a few hours to keep data consistent – anything more than short breaks can mess with the encounter data.
Dealing with the Frustrations
Photography in the field is fast-paced, and I can remember many times when I didn’t get the photo I was hoping for – when the photo in my head does not materialize. I walk away feeling defeated. It can be tempting to sink into disappointment and frustration when a promising photo does not materialize.
However, the reality is that frustrations can blind us as photographers. It happens often that I return from a frustrating day of photography only to check my photos and realize that I did take some I like. Frustration feeds into itself if you aren’t careful. It makes us messy, not only with photography, but with work.
Yet, with the constant busyness of field work, photography can provide an escape. While photographing wildlife, I find myself focused on the scene in front of me, examining every slight movement of the animal. I gain tunnel vision where it is just me and my subject, so concentrated that pressures of everyday life slip my mind. In this way, photography provides a meditative outlet. There is a sense of peace as it forces you to slow down and make mindful decisions in an otherwise fast-paced and busy time. It’s a way for me to stop worrying about everything that needs to be done and focus on the moment I am experiencing.
Embracing that sense of awareness rather than wallowing in frustration is not only good for your health, but good for your photos.
Tips on Working Efficiently
My busiest time as a researcher in Belize is at night. As soon as the sun goes down, it’s time to search for nocturnal herpetofauna.
Before my group heads into the jungle, I check batteries on headlamps, flashlights, my camera, and flash. I pre-set my camera to approximately the right camera settings for macro flash photography – a low ISO, aperture around f/8, and my sync speed of 1/250 second. I won’t be able to use the same settings for every photo, but those couple of seconds could be the difference between getting or missing the shot. Likewise, I make sure to keep my flash and diffuser in an accessible place, ready to attach without having to dig through my bag.
While taking pictures, I need to remind myself to move around and get multiple perspectives. I have a tendency to get hyper-focused on a shot I have pictured in my head. This can be unrealistic in a time crunch and leave me frustrated – which, again, can have negative impacts on my photography and work. I have found it helpful to broaden the variety of photos I take, especially when I don’t have the time to perfect all my lighting and settings to match the ideal image in my head.
It’s not just macro photography that I’m after. Whenever I can step back from data collection, I try to photograph the people interacting with the animals. Although it is often fast-paced, this allows me to enjoy some more time with the camera. It also makes for interesting compositions with movement and a story.
Deciding when to photograph a subject is done in a split second. I think about the possibilities for unique photographs that convey an image of the animal. Is the animal exhibiting an interesting behavior or surrounded by an enticing environment? If so, I may need to act fast to take photos. The reverse situation is when I need to focus on scientific data collection – especially caiman nights, where I take the lead in data collection. I’m caught up in the rush and often don’t even think about photography. I don’t have many caiman photos because of this, but I don’t regret my decisions of not photographing.
There is an excitement that rushes through me when we find a species I haven’t seen before. I know it’s important to photograph this animal, whether just a couple of quick photos or a more polished setup with my lights and camera settings optimized. If possible, I let other people take lead in data collection so I can set up my lighting.
Finding the Balance
I am a researcher and a photographer, and that means wearing different hats at different times. But it doesn’t mean that when I am one, I am not the other. My goal in all my work is the conservation of all species, especially those misunderstood and feared, like crocodilians. This means knowing when to prioritize scientific data collection and when to prioritize photographing the moment.
For many of us, photography is about split-second decisions that determine whether or not we get “the shot.” We are often juggling photography with multiple activities: hiking, camping, researching, diving, or just enjoying nature.
Working efficiently under time pressure while finding the balance between photography and these activities can be tricky. The important thing is to follow your creative instincts – knowing where to move and when to press the shutter.
It’s something I find myself getting better at with every field season. I take fewer photos but get more shots that I love, and I catch myself before I get frustrated and messy. Along the way, I get closer to achieving my goal, which is to help understand these misunderstood animals alongside the people working to protect them. That’s what I want to convey with both my research and my photos.
Back in ancient times when I was doing field work (environmental investigations), the only photos I got to take were to directly support the project or study. As I became a “manager”, I would take pictures to document the delivery of the work and then sneek in a few for me. The best site visits were to document progress and/or capture current conditions where you could do a wide range of specific shots plus many others to document the details and to capture the “fun stuff”. The issue was, my own gear was almost always better than what I had for the field work so it was hard to get the “best shots”. Great presentation of the real work that “outsiders” do not always get to see.
Thank you! That also brings in scientific photography and how it can cross with our own photography. A very interesting topic for me and part of the balance.
Thanks for sharing your adventures! I like that PL files it under “Essays and Inspiration”- that feels right. Hope to see more photos sometime. This particular piece of advice is very wise:
“However, the reality is that frustrations can blind us as photographers. It happens often that I return from a frustrating day of photography only to check my photos and realize that I did take some I like. Frustration feeds into itself if you aren’t careful. It makes us messy, not only with photography, but with work.“
Thank you, really appreciate it.
Nice article. It certainly sounds tricky to balance both research and photography, as I know I have enough trouble just managing photography! I constantly urge my uncle to bring his Canon R5 into the field with him but he’s always telling me that he has no time for photography when doing fieldwork :)
That’s the struggle! And these are some of our favorite animals, so of course we want to photograph. That’s what makes it difficult at times.