- ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER -

I often find that I have one foot in wildlife biology and the other in paleontology. Most of my previous field research and my MSc was in the former, whereas my PhD work at the University of Chicago focuses on the latter. I have worked as an avian behavioral ecologist in various settings, specifically dealing with threatened and/or endangered species in the grasslands of the Midwest, the jungles of Hawai’i, mountains of the Pacific Northwest, the deserts of the Mojave, the coasts of Washington, and the forests of West Virginia. Additionally, I have conducted paleontological research and assisted in digs both in the United States and internationally. I have spent most of my life digging up, researching, and photographing life both past and present in order increase our understanding of the natural world. My future research goals are focused on mainly extinct taxa, comparative ecomorphology and ethology. In the overarching context of time, I hope that my work might change the values of our species to better appreciate the natural world and our place within it.

Apart from my academic research, I currently work with multiple publications supplying both articles and photographs. Some of these publications include Birdwatching Magazine, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Living Bird Magazine, American Bird Conservancy, and Hawaii Magazine. My articles focus on some of the research that I have been able to do over the years. I have also been featured on the “Bird Photographer of the Year” shortlist. With my photographs, I hope to be able to bring about an awareness and appreciation for the wonders that fill the trees, grasslands, jungles, deserts, and oceans.  If you’d like to see my current academic research, feel free to visit alexanderclarkresearch.com

For use of my photos in publications, presentations, or any other type of media, please reach out at alexanderclarkphoto@gmail.com. Please do not contact me for free image use unless you are associated with a university of museum/institution.

- BRIEF STATEMENT ON PHOTOGRAPHY ETHICS -

It’s incredibly difficult to approach the subject of wildlife photography ethics without sounding like you’re lecturing your audience. I am first and foremost a wildlife biologist, and then a photographer, and the ethics of photographing wildlife are incredibly important to me as it should be to anyone who genuinely cares about the well-being of their subjects. I have spent years working with and researching the behavior of endangered and threatened species of both birds and mammals, and I take the wellness of them seriously. That being said, my brief statement on ethics is explained here:

Baiting: This scenario typically entails people (photographers) using either deceased or living animals as bait in order to bring or coax predatory animals, whether they be birds of prey or other carnivorous animals, closer into view for a photograph. Baiting an animal not only elicits unnatural behavior (i.e. it’s accepting an offering, not hunting), it also draws animals to roadsides, habituates them to human presence, and has the possibility to give the animal disease from contaminated food. That being said, I never have and never will bait predatory animals. This is an incredibly brief description of why I do not bait, and if you’d like to pursue a conversation about it, please feel free to contact me. 

Feeders/ perching: Artificial situations where subjects are brought into frame with the use of feeders, food dishes, and perches, while appealing to those who lack the ability to hike, should not be labeled as “wildlife photography”. The subjects are wild, but the scenario is not, and should not be labeled as such. Photos like these are great to bring focus on a species, but a disclaimer of how the photo was obtained should be shown to the viewer.

Callback: Callback, also called playback, is occasionally used to locate a species. I use playback minimally, and always outside of the breeding season given the subject. Species of conservation concern should especially never be lured with any form of callback or baiting for numerous reasons. However, playback is sometimes used in the context of research, and I am lucky enough to be able to photograph the often at-risk species that I study. Again, for more information, please feel free to email me. 

 If you are a wildlife photographer, please do not allow your impatience or apathy towards a species/subject allow you to commit reckless behavior. Wildlife does not exist for you to photograph it. If you find yourself getting frustrated at an animal for not cooperating with your photoshoot, you’re in the wrong. Wildlife itself is far more important than the photo you're attempting to capture.