In an effort to keep visitors and wildlife safe, the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board has launched a new Instagram filter called "Selfie Control."
The filter is designed to help visitors maintain a safe distance when taking photos of the area's wildlife, which includes bison, bears, moose and other animals. It serves as a visual reminder that proper distance is not just a suggestion, but a requirement.
"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," said Erik Dombroski, chair of the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board. "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."
Here's how the filter works: Visitors simply search for the Selfie Control filter on Instagram, select the type of animal they are viewing, and align the animal's outline with the icon on the screen. If the animal appears larger than the icon, the user is too close and should step back to the recommended distance before snapping a photo.
Visitors can then tag @visitjacksonhole and share the photo as an Instagram Story or in-feed post.
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
To make the Selfie Control filter more widely available, the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board is open-sourcing the files so that other destinations can add the wildlife native to their areas and encourage visitors to practice safe photo habits.
"It's our hope that the filter can allow other wild destinations that are home to wildlife to keep their visitors and wildlife safe as visits are sure to increase during the summer travel season," said Crista Valentino, executive director of the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board.
The Selfie Control filter toolkit is available here. The filter is now live on Instagram.
Editor’s Note: This article was generated by AI, based on a press release distributed by Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board. It was reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.
