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Saw this in The Metro this morning. I think it's a cracking shot.
My personal issue is that it reads like the decision of when to capture the image was taken by a machine (maybe I’m making an unfair assumption)
Not sure why this would irk me, perhaps I feel that unless the tog decides when to press the shutter (whether remotely, self timer or the trigger itself) then he/she didn’t take the photograph
If I understand it correctly it would appear that either the subject or the ‘trap’ took the image by taking the decision away from the photographer
I’m a fan of the tools & automation we have at our disposal but surely when we decide to press the shutter is fundamentally how we stake the claim to have taken the photograph
There’s no doubt the tog is responsible for this image, but did he take it?
(really like the image though)
Edit to add:
Maybe I’m being far to pedantic
After all he would have set the trap, decided on its settings, direction & other parameters so no different to Remote Release in that sense (and by dialling in these settings has he therefore decided when the shutter will be released?)
He’s clearly spent a huge amount of time setting this shot to make its capture even possible & he was probably in a nearby hiding spot (but I guess he could also have been asleep at home)
Don’t know why this even matters to me….but somehow it does
I'd actually missed that part when I read it in the paper this morning...
So, I'm not sure. I suppose it depends on whether it was viable to get the shot through more human means. If it were possible to stake out the location in a hide and get the same shot, then I suppose it just seems slightly lazy. If the wolf would sniff the photographer out, or behave differently, then it seems like less of a cheat.
Ultimately, it comes back to any other argument like how much photoshopping is acceptable to maintain the integrity of the image? I'm more interested in the final image than the means by which it was created.
I guess that’s maybe the crux of it James
Does the final image justify any & all means (as we saw with the recent thread on the Chicago train station created entirely in PS) and we should simply appreciate the skills & effort involved
(I know this topic as been discussed many times)
Or to win this kind of comp should some of the above be defined
I always look at my own images and remember the moment I shot it & the emotions it evoked in me at that time & whether those are somehow captured in the image itself (difficult to do if sleeping in bed at the time)
I doubt he would be able to get anywhere near as close as this had the photographer been there that close, the wold would smell him a mile away and wouldnt come close. Its the same type of image that won last years Wildlife photographer of the year (this it was a snow leopard) which was captured using the same means. This guy has gone to a lot of trouble to get this shot and is something not many people will have the patience or technical ability to set this up so credit where credits due.
Reading through the article, several of them set up their shots, they just did it in different ways. The wolves appear to be very wary of humans, so given their sense of smell you'd either need a hell of a long release cable, or to do it as he did. Wasn't it this comp that was won in a similar manner previously with the snow leopard shot? Or was that another world wildlife comp?
Interesting, just read about last years winner too & his own comments on traps (extract below)
Commenting on the use of trigger cameras rather than being sat behind the lens, Mr Winter said: "They are something that needs to be used to get intimate portraits of elusive animals.
"I used to hate these cameras because they just gave you a record of an animal.
"Images are all about composition and light. If I cannot control that as if I would as I put the camera up to my face, then essentially I have failed.
"So I asked myself that if I did not like these cameras, how can I like them more.
"It turns out that snow leopards are the perfect species on which to use these cameras. They always come to specific locations to mark their territory.
"So I viewed the locations as movie sets. I put the cameras there, I put the lights there.
"I knew the animal would come; it was just waiting for the actor to walk on stage and break the beam."
It could be said that to win at all costs is the motto
Although it does appear that times are changing, perhaps next year we could submit a single frame from a video shoot? I don't see any real difference in doing it by this mthod 
I should say again that I think all these images are stunning, a credit to the individuals and the teams involved and I think the subjects absolutely need to be photographed but and as to whether the method of capture is relevant to competition entry? I guess that’s up to the organisers.
I’m only raising it here to get opinion from other ePz members as something doesn't quite sit well in my mind
Quote: I’m only raising it here to get opinion from other ePz members as something doesn't quite sit well in my mind
So how do you feel about the youngster that won who set up all the bird feeding things, collecting in the specific food for that bird over the summer? Or the guy in Russia who obviously observed behaviour between the local wildlife and his cat over time, and then took the perfect shot as he saw it happening?
Not having a dig, just curious as to where your moral boundaries are in setting up the shot.
I can see the arguments, the technology allows the tog to be 'director' of the shot without actually pressing the button.
However, the image would be near impossible if he had been there - it mentions in the article how wary of humans the Iberian Wolf is (likewise the snow leopard from last year). You could do the same shot with a tame wolf, but I would then feel that this was not a Wildlife image (missing the essential 'wild' bit).
They need to be an excellent camera technician to ensure all the kit works correctly, in all weather conditions at exactly the right time. To get the perfect lighting etc is all part of the photographers skill, but I also am aware that studio shots often have a full support crew of technicians.
What struck me was the amount of time, planning and effort required to get this shot. Likewise several of the others where the image was taken due to meitculous planning and a dedication to get the 'one' shot that would be a worthy winner. If only I had the time to do the same...
Valid question Katy
It seems my morality on this is restricted to taking the photograph
I have no problem with much of the setting up & preparation such as baiting/feeding/enticing subjects even shooting animals in zoos/parks or stalking & observing animal behaviour to decide on locations/shooting perspective………..none of these things will take the pic, so its just traps for trigger release in relation to comps
I didn’t enter so I guess it the non winning entrants that may feel aggrieved to realise the winners could have been miles away when the shot was taken
Edit to add:
Intrestingly the rules don’t allow me to clone out an errant empty packet of Walkers cheese & onion crisps that wasn’t there when I set the shot up but they do allow me to be asleep when I take the image & perhaps not even in the same country
The shot was planned for years and it's execution pretty well perfect. Well done to the photographer and all the other winners & finalists.
Technology, be it long lenses, triggers, umpteen mega pixel cameras, etc. are only any good in the hands of someone who know his/her subject with intimacy and expertise .
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