It is always a thrill to see almost any species, even at a distance. Whether I'm carrying a camera or not though, there is something incredibly special about being close to an animal. Being close enough to see the texture of their fur or their feathers or their scales is an experience like nothing else in the world. There are some in our society, many of them government officials, who maintain that humans should keep a healthy distance between themselves and animals. They often have legitimate reasons for advocating this - fear of a litigious society and concern that ignorant or uncaring individuals may stress the critters that mean so much to us.

The attitude that animals should not be near us seems to indicate that we are separate and different from the other species who share the planet with us - that we don't belong among them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Being close to animals, a member of the herd, the gaggle or the pod, reaffirms the fact that we are as much a part of the flora and fauna of this planet as the meanest things crawling in the mud, the most magnificent soaring through the heavens and the most monstrous that dwarf us with their mountains of muscle and sinew.

This concept was brought home while photographing elephant seals. A "weaner", or weaned pup, weighing only 300 or 400 pounds crawled up to us, maybe hoping to nurse one more time or maybe just for company. I obviously looked enough like an elephant seal (Cathy says it's the size of my nose) to comfort the youngster, and I never felt so connected to the rookery as I did then.

As a photographer, being close to your subject brings other benefits. It allows us to experiment and take photos that would normally be impossible. Looking down at the young elephant seal, I noticed I could see my reflection in its eye, and amazing possibilities began occurring to me. I never even dreamed that I'd be able to photograph my reflection in an animal's eye. Getting close to some species can be a dream come true, but it is very important to put the animal's welfare ahead of any potential images. With unwanted attention, photographers can easily kill young animals by keeping parents away from the nest or den, or even kill adults stressed to their limits from fighting the elements. Research the subject and err on the side of the animal's well being.

Many times the safest way to get close is to let the creatures approach you. A few years ago, we were photographing a pair of whooping cranes at a wetland beside a retirement community in Central Florida. We were shooting at extreme distances with teleconverters on long lenses to keep from spooking the birds when one of the retirees came over. He called the birds by name, and the birds walked right up to him, even eating almonds from his hand. It was obvious that these birds, even though they were highly endangered, were not the least bit bothered by our company.

Photographers are risking possible injury or death by being close to animals. Even some of the smallest can give a nasty bite or transmit disease. However, life is a risk. You take your life in your hands every time you get in a car or walk across a busy street or eat raw spinach. If the animal is in no danger, I'd rather take my chances having animals close to me than dodging traffic.

Before going to Silver Salmon Creek in Alaska, if someone had asked me if I ever wanted to be within 20 feet of a grizzly bear, I would have told them no. Keep in mind that we were in a small group and that our guides were extremely knowledgeable, but as long as we approached from upwind, the bears paid almost no attention to us. They would continue doing bear things without even acknowledging the group of photographers next to them. It's a risk I would gladly take again.

Getting close to animals is nothing to expect on a regular basis, and it's obviously much easier in some situations. For example, it's easy to get close to species like penguins and the sea birds of the Galapagos because they evolved without humans and have no fear of us. There are certain locations and certain times when some species are more tolerant. During the last salmon run on the Chilkat River the eagles are far more interested in salmon than in the proximity of photographers. Captives, even rarely seen species, usually pay little attention to photographers. Blinds can help you get close to many species simply because the animals don't know the photographer is there.

One of the biggest thrills in life is being close to the creatures that share our world with us. Being close also offers some of the best opportunities for photography. Granted, there is some danger, but no more than I experience when I'm close to some of my other family members, and for me the rewards are more than worth the risk.

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Gordon and Cathy ILLG have been photographing wildlife for over 20 years. Their desire to capture unique images takes them and their workshop participants to new and favorite locations where opportunities are made the most of. Visit www.advenphoto.com to see more of Gordon's and Cathy's work and their tour schedule.