Right after reading the title, you may have thought to yourself ‘how does social media harm nature?’ Well, the answer might be quite startling indeed. You might’ve seen many photographers online sharing their amazing portfolios with the world. It features photos of them, their clients, the places they’ve visited, and the things they have seen.

Sadly, though, in the race to gain more social media popularity, users have resorted to participating in a ‘phototrophy hunt’ where they go into forests looking for wildlife to take that viral, Instagrammable shot. This leads many other aspiring photographers to look for that perfect shot, hence increasing the disturbance in the wildlife’s natural habitat.

David Rama/Pexels | Maintain the safety of both yourself and the animals

Now, we’re not here to demotivate you but instead to inform you about the safety measures you can use to play your part in helping nature and pursue your hobby/profession to its fullest!

1. Stick To The Trail

Yes, photos from flower fields are extremely breath-taking but your photos can end up destroying them too. A similar event took place in California when residents witnessed a super bloom resulting in hundreds of wildflowers growing in nearby fields. Once the word got out, thousands of tourists swarmed to the spot to get their Instagram-worthy shot. But although these visitors got what they wanted, the fields were left completely ruined and trampled. The germination of the seeds was disrupted, ruining the natural cycle of the wildflowers. So, make sure to stick to your trail which will get you the shot without causing irreversible damage to the nature.

Biseh Gurung/Pexels | Those flowers didn’t deserve it

2. Remove Your Location Data From Your Picture

This tip should be a no-brainer but many people don’t realize how their smartphones save GPS locations with photos as well. Another thing they don’t know is that this information is open to anyone who can see your photo on Facebook or Flickr album.

Lisa Fotios/Pexels | Poachers can actually track wild animals with the help of the location in your photos

3. Don’t Bother The Wild Animals

Animals are gorgeous and it’s normal to want to grab your phone to take pictures when you come across a beautiful creature. But do you think to yourself ‘what can be better than a photo of this animal? A selfie with the animal!’ This entices many people to get a bit too close to the animals, endangering both their own lives and the lives of the wild animals too.

These three tips might be simple but they can prove to be greatly helpful the next time you’re in the mood for a safari or sight-seeing trip.