A Guide To Responsible Wildlife Photography (From Some of My Favorite Long Island Photographers)

There are pros and cons to the surge in interest around wildlife photography that has been sweeping Instagram over the past few years. On one hand, that need to get as close to the subject as possible “for the gram” can cause serious stress to the subject - affecting every aspect of their life from hunting to raising their young. On the other side of the trend is the amazing platform it creates for raising awareness around important issues like local conservation and species awareness. Those who take it up as a hobby can find grounding in being outdoors in close proximity to the wide array of species that we share Long Island with. This becomes particularly important in a day-and-age where we are constantly overstimulated by too much screen time and often miss out on the beauty in these intimate moments.

It’s important that we as a community try to steer people towards the latter and do our best to welcome and educate photographers interested in wildlife as their subject. For that reason, I wanted to talk to some of my favorite Long Island-based wildlife photographers about what makes it such a special hobby (or profession) and how we can all be responsible in our approach.

Conservation, Long Island WildlifeRichard J NardoJune 23, 2021Long Island Raptors, Long Island Wildlife, Long Island, Long Island Outdoor, Wildlife Photography, Nature Photography, Conservation, Garrett Camasi, Creature Catalog, Tony Trapani, Rich Nardo, Shane Etter, Liana Jonas, Adrianna DeVillacian, JR Aurature, Responsible Photography, Enjoy Nature Responsibly, Snowy Owl Long Island, Snowy Owl, American Oystercatcher, Red Fox, Foxes on Long Island, White-Tailed Deer, Deers Long Island, Long Eared Owl, Owls, Owls on Long Island, NTVLI, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Songbirds, Harbor Seals, Harbor Seals Long Island, Hummingbird, Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Osprey, Osprey Long Island, Lawrence Warbler, Warbler, Bald Eagle, Bald Eagles Long Island Comment

Long Island Canines: The Native (Red Fox) and the Newcomer (Coyote)

Over the past decade, coyotes have began to conquer their final frontier here on Long Island. While much is being made in the news about their expansion, this newcomer is not the only wild member of the canine family to call Long Island home. The red fox (and the elusive gray fox) have made their home here for as long as humans have. With no other large predator around, the red fox plays an integral role in our ecosystem and it will be interesting to see how their role evolves now that their larger cousins are moving into the neighborhood.