Sharks, crocodiles, snakes—these are my favorite photography subjects. I am constantly asked why.
Growing up, I was never the daredevil. I spent my time hiking in simple northern New Jersey, where the most dangerous animals I would encounter were unconcerned black bears strolling through the woods in my yard. My mom likes to tell people that my love for “modern-day dinosaurs” stems from wanting to be a paleontologist as a child. This makes sense, as part of me has always been drawn to the misunderstood.
Species that are feared tend to be ecologically important. But this isn’t what people usually think of when these animals come up in conversation. As photographers, we have the unique power to shape people’s perceptions. We decide how we want to portray a scene and therefore decide how people view our subjects. This gives wildlife photography great educational importance.
Bats
I get varied reactions when showing people my bat portraits, but I consistently get questions about the unique characteristics that these photos focus on. People see these animals up close for the first time and have questions.
Feeling a bat for the first time, I was caught off guard. The body was softer than a stuffed animal, and the wings felt like a blown-up balloon. To identify bats, we often have to look at very small details like their teeth or hair. Photographing these details gives me the opportunity to show people these unique features and incite curiosity.
When people see these photos, they get a perspective of bats that they often haven’t before. Bats have unique anatomies that lead to interesting physical characteristics. Nectar-eating bats have little hairs on their long tongues, some bats have a leaf-shaped nose to better echolocate, and some bats have comically large ears. Showcasing these details helps people develop feelings other than fear associated with these animals.
Sharks
Sharks hold great ecological importance. As apex predators, they maintain balance in their ecosystems by keeping prey populations in check. Without sharks, biodiversity would decrease, and many species would die off. Yet they are some of the most feared members of the animal kingdom.
I have never felt in danger in the presence of a shark. The waters off the east coast of Florida are home to one of the most feared species: bull sharks. Dedicated shark dives bring people out to swim with these sharks year-round. The experience is exhilarating, as upwards of five sharks swim around you at once. But I have never even been touched by one. They curiously swim up to you, turning away at a safe distance. Eye contact and body language are important, as they develop a respect for the humans in the water just as much as we do for them.
Snakes
The South American bushmaster (Lachesis muta) is the largest viper in the world. As a herpetologist working in Peru, it was a bucket list animal to photograph. My third time in the country, I finally saw one.
I work with a nonprofit organization based in Peru called Fauna Forever. A large portion of their work is long-term monitoring of terrestrial vertebrates. This includes herpetofauna surveys, where we take morphological measurements of reptiles and amphibians we encounter. This includes venomous snakes. To take measurements of venomous snakes, we have to tube them. This is when we coax the snake into a tight, clear tube so that it can be safely handled without risk of being bitten.
Handling venomous snakes always feels strange, but bushmasters are truly a unique experience. They have very keeled scales, which is when there is a ridge running down the center of each scale, giving them a rough, strong texture. They feel comparable to what I imagine touching a dragon would feel like.
With multiple people helping keep the tube secure and straightening her body, we measured the bushmaster past 2 meters. We photographed her when we went to release her in the jungle. With thick green brush on either side, she never seemed to feel trapped, only moving to escape into the jungle. Other than that, she sat coiled, turning her head to keep her eyes on us. She never tried to strike at us, staying calm yet aware of her surroundings.
Many locals believe bushmasters to be bad luck unless you kill them. This myth leads to countless individuals getting killed, even with their calm nature. There are consequences to the perceptions we project onto animals, and as photographers, we have the power to influence these perceptions.
Conclusion
When I think about why I photograph these animals, I think back to moments I’ve shared with them—my first interactions face-to-face with sharks and alligators. I remember experiencing feelings of exhilaration and peace at the same time. I would look at the animal in front of me with the awareness of the power it has and the understanding that it doesn’t want to hurt me. Maybe it is partially the thrill. Interacting with wild animals is exhilarating and, with the right precautions and preparations, can be done safely. But above this, I feel a sense of purpose being able to show that they are more than their reputation and watch people’s perceptions of them change. As photographers, we have the unique power to shape people’s perceptions. We decide how our subjects’ stories are told.
