Shooting wildlife

KALISPELL, Mont. -- Photographers and wildlife enthusiasts share a common goal: They want to see animals "up close and personal."

Photographers need to be relatively close so they can get good head shots of the animals as well as environment pictures, that is, pictures that show the animals in their native environment.

Wildlife enthusiasts like to experience animals at close range so they can see the faces of the animals without having to use very high-powered binoculars, which are hard to hold steady and thus offer a shaky view of the subject (unless the binoculars have an image stabilization feature).

But its not easy to get up close and personal to the wild animals, which are often shy and reclusive in the wild.

Enter Triple "D" Farm and Wild Eyes Animal & Photo Adventures, two wildlife game farms that specialize in wild animal photo sessions. Both game farms, which are open every day of the year, are located less than an hour's drive from Kalispell, the gateway to Glacier National Park. (Neither farm allows hunting, as do some of the other game farms in Montana.)

I visited Triple "D" in August 2002 and Wild Eyes in August of 2001. Both trips provided me with wildlife pictures that exceeded my expectations. I also walked away with many memorable experiences.

The animals at these farms include bears, wolves, snow leopards, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions and badgers. At selected times of day, handlers bring the animals from their holding areas into natural settings for staged photo sessions. In those picturesque areas, which include aspen groves, ponds and rocky outcroppings, photographers can "shoot" the animals, from several feet away, without having any wires or fences in the scene. (The fences are there, usually behind tress or bushes or low to the ground, so it's easy to compose a picture without getting them in the frame.)

At Wild Eyes, you can actually get in some of the photo areas, so the only thing between you and a tiger or bear is your lens! I actually had a baby brown bear crawl up my leg! Not to fear. Experienced handlers were nearby to protect me. At both game farms, you must have a guide and handler with you at all times. You simply can't walk around on your own.

And you can't always depend on the animals to pose for your camera. Just like children, the animals are not always in the mood to have their pictures taken. So, patience and understanding are required if you visit the game farms.

Because of the nearness of the animals, you don't necessarily need super telephoto lenses to get great photographs. I shot most of my pictures with a 70-200mm zoom lens on my digital SLR camera. For some very tight head shots, I used my 300mm lens.

Experienced handlers keep a watchful eye on the animals as well as on the guests who experience the wildlife encounters. They stress that the animals are basically "wild," and they encourage people not to make any sudden moves or loud noises. In addition, each participant must sign a liability release.

The wildlife encounter is unique, indeed. In fact, professional photographers might have to wait days in the wild to get the same kind of pictures they can get at these games farms. That type of availability has drawn film crews from National Geographic, Disney, Nature, the BBC and other cinema productions to Triple "D" over the years.

Well-known professional photographers, including Darrell Guline, Lewis Kemper and Leonard Lee Rue III, have all journeyed to Montana to "shoot" the animals at Triple "D." And each year, Popular Photography magazine runs a photo trek, staffed with professional photographers and open to amateur photographers, to Montana that includes a visit to the game farms.

Visitors to Triple "D" and Wild Eyes usually spend several days in the area, also exploring and photographing Glacier National Park, with its stunning scenery. For jaunts in the park, I'd recommend bringing a wide-angle lens, a polarizing filter and a tripod so you can photograph the breathtaking mountains and lakes from sunrise to sunset.

If you go, be prepared to take some great wildlife pictures, and be prepared to listen carefully -- very carefully -- to the handlers during the photo sessions. And if you get a great shot and have the opportunity to have it published, follow the old motto: Honesty is the best policy. In the credit line for the photo, state that you photographed the animal in captivity. That's something that the American Society of Media Photographers stresses: honesty in journalism.

Editor's note: Rick Sammon is a guest host of the Photo Safari on the Outdoor Life Network and host of the Digital Photography Workshop on the Do It Yourself Network.

GETTING THERE: Airlines that fly into Glacier National Park Airport in Kalispell (7 miles north of downtown) include Alaska, Big Sky, Delta, Horizon and Northwest.

You'll find an airline schedule at www.glacierairport.com/schedule.html.

Cars can be rented at the airport through Avis, Budget, Hertz and National.

LODGING: There are more than a dozen hotels and motels in and around Kalispell. You'll find a list with rates at: www.rmhotels.com/montana/Kalispell-hotels.html.

Both Triple "D" and Wild Eyes offer lodge accommodations on site. A single room at Triple "D" is $65 per night, or you can rent an entire cabin, which sleeps eight, for $225 per night. A single room at Wide Eyes is $89 per night.

Complete travel information can be found on the Travel Montana Web site: www.visitmt.com.

WEATHER: Check the weather for the time of year you plan to visit. Snow can block roads and freezing temperatures can make for bone-numbing photo sessions. Try www.weather.com, the Weather Channel's Web site. AOL also offers a link to a weather Web page.

COST: A visit to Triple "D" and Wild Eyes, which should be arranged well in advance, will cost you a lot more than a visit to your local zoo. Full-day sessions can run from $175 to $300 per person, depending on the number of people in the group (private sessions are available) and the number of animals the group wants to photograph.

Triple-D offers a special rate to photographers participating in photo workshops organized by Popular Photography magazine (www.mentorseries.com). If the prices sound high, keep in mind that stock photos of wild animals can sell for several thousands of dollars, and pros go there to shoot stock.

INFORMATION: Contact Triple "D" Game Farm, P.O. Box 5072 Kalispell, MT, 59903. Phone: (406) 755-9653. Web site: www.tripledgamefarm.com.

Wild Eyes Animal & Photo Adventures, 894 Lake Drive, Columbia, Falls, MT, 59912. Phone: (406) 387 5391. Web site: www.wildeyes-usa.com.

Big Mountain, P.O. Box 1400, Whitefish, MT, 59937. Phone: (406) 862-2900 Web site: www.bigmtn.com.

Glacier National Park Park Headquarters, West Glacier, MT, 59936. Visitor Information: (406) 888-7800. Web site: www.nps.gov/glac.

RICK SAMMON'S WILDLIFE PHOTO TIPS

Take headshots and pictures that show the animals in their environment. To do that, try a 70mm-200mm zoom lens and perhaps a 300mm lens.

Always focus on the animal's eye. If the eyes are not in focus, you have missed the shot.

Wait for the animal's face to be lighted by the sun.

Compose carefully so you don't get a distracting element in the background.

Use a fast shutter speed, 1-250th of a second and higher to "freeze" an animal's movement.

Be prepared with ISO 400 film (or set your digital camera to ISO 400) for cloudy day photo sessions.