Is it? Is photography and all things related having an oversized impact on the environment? After reading multiple stories recently on the impact of too many visitors at various national parks and how Instagrammers are ruining things for locals at many historical sites, I’ve started to think that maybe there is some truth to this assertion after all.
The year was 1985, and I was just a young boy, on my first trip to the Yucatan. With Mayan temples on the mind and excitement I could barely contain, I ventured into some of the least traveled areas (at that time) in search of adventure. And yes, I was armed with a camera. But back then, it was just myself, my parents and my cheap super plasticky Kodak 35mm camera on the prowl for anything even remotely similar to ancient ruins. I was a nut on the subject, to the point of obsession. I had read multiple books, asked my parents just about every question I could think of, and had there been an internet I would have Googled half the planet. I was prepared. Fully, and it was worth it. Wandering around in a mysterious jungle far from home was more than a young boy’s dream, it was real adventure. Flash forward to my most recent visit and the changes are stark. The…
