Wyoming’s Jackson Hole can be a great place to experience wildlife.
And while snapping a picture of a nearby elk or bison may be tempting, getting too close can put you in danger.
That’s why the recreation area, situated near Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, has a creative new tool to help keep you safe.
The Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board has launched an Instagram filter to help ensure you’re at an appropriate distance when capturing images of wildlife.
Visitors wanting to take a photo can search for the “Selfie Control” filter button on Instagram and swipe through the animals until they select the one they want to capture. Then, an outline of the animal will appear. If you line up the outline to the animal and the animal is larger, you are too close.
“The Selfie Control filter serves as a reminder that while viewing and taking photos of wildlife is allowed and encouraged, staying the appropriate distance is more than a suggestion — it’s a requirement,” Jackson Hole’s tourism board said in a press release.
The filter is pre-loaded with all the different types of wildlife found at Jackson Hole, including bison, bears and moose.
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“For professional photographers and amateurs alike, it’s hard to tell if a moose or bison is 25 or 100 yards away just by eyeballing it, especially when you’re in a place like Grand Teton or Yellowstone National Park with sprawling, wide-open spaces,” Erik Dombroski, chair of the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board, said in a press release. “That’s why we created the Selfie Control filter — so visitors can easily gauge proper distance for their safety, as well as the wildlife they are sharing space with, while still allowing for a memorable shot."
The Selfie Control filter toolkit is also available for other wilderness destinations at this link.
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