Why I Watch Meat Eater

As a wildlife photographer you may think I am a conservationist (I do try) and therefore against hunting.

While I have greatly reduced my meat and dairy consumption for environmental and animal rights reasons, I am intrigued by hunting.
In fact, I often watch hunting shows, such as Meat Eater.

The reason I watch such shows is because there are so many similarities between hunting and wildlife photography.
I can learn a lot by watching experts in a field that many may consider the exact opposite of wildlife photography.

Expert hunters have expert knowledge regarding stalking, clothing, camping, food storage, habitat, tracking, and how to spot hard-to-find animals.

By watching professional hunters like Steve Rinella, I’m able to pick up all kinds of ticks and tricks for getting close enough to rare and timid wildlife to get excellent photos.
Another reason i watch hunting shows is because I believe it is important to get a different perspective.
If a wildlife photographer only watches wildlife photography shows, listens to wildlife photography podcasts, and reads wildlife photography books, that person will create photos that look the same as every other wildlife photographer’s photos.

There will be no original ideas where thought and vision have melded across genres to create something new and different.

But, it is rare that I stop when scrolling through a page of great photos because something stands out.
Everyone is doing similar things.

We need to broaden our thoughts and experiences in order to encourage original ideas to enter our brains.