Wildlife parks offer photo opportunities

Wildlife centers -- including the Bronx Zoo, the San Diego Wildlife Park, Fossil Rim Ranch near Dallas and Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Fla. -- provide a great opportunity for photographers who want to get up-close-and-personal pictures of animals in natural-looking settings.

For even closer pictures, wildlife centers have been designed for photographers. These include: Wild Eyes and The Triple D Game Farm in Montana, and the Lakota Wolf Preserve in New Jersey.

If you are planning a wildlife photo session at a wildlife center this summer, here are a few tips for safe, sharp and smart shots:

Listen to your guide. Above all, listen to your guide. He or she will tell you what you can and can't do, including how close you can get to the animals. Even at photography wildlife centers, where you can get relatively close to relatively tame animals (close enough to touch them at some centers), it's important to remember that they are still wild animals. So exercising caution is essential. Bring your telephoto and wide-angle lenses

Telephoto lenses are useful for getting full-frame shots of the animals. Wide-angle lenses are good for getting pictures of the animals surrounded by their environment. When using a wide-angle lens, try to compose your scene so that fences and wires are not showing in your picture. Think fast ISO

For sharp shots with telephoto lenses, which exaggerate camera shake, you'll need a fast film or you'll need to set a high ISO on your digital camera. Even if it's sunny, your might need an ISO 400 or 800 film setting especially if you are using a f/4.5 or f/5.6 zoom lens. What's more, you'll need a fast shutter speed (at or higher than 1/125th of a second) to "freeze" a fast-moving animal.

That said, a picture of a slightly blurred animal can convey movement and the feeling of speed and action in a picture. To create that effect, experiment with slow shutter speeds (1/30th of a second and slower). Pack a flash and extender

On your mini-adventure to a wildlife center, you might spot an animal on the ground in the shade or a bird in a tree. In those cases, you might need to use a flash. If the animal is out of flash range (beyond the maximum flash distance of your unit), a flash extender (which narrows and extends the beam of light) might help you get the shot. Watch the background

When composing your picture, keep a keen eye on the background. Make sure a branch or post is not "growing" out of your subject's head. Focus on the eyes

In wildlife photography, if the eyes are out of focus, you've missed the shot. So, take an extra second to lock your camera's focus on the animal's eyes, then recompose your picture, and then shoot. Be honest

If you do get a great shot and an editor or art director wants to publish it, be honest about where the animal was photographed -- in captivity. That's what credible pros do, and that's what the American Society of Media Photographers stresses with its members: "Honesty is the best policy."

If you want to learn more about wildlife centers and wildlife centers geared for photographers, do a Web search. Go to www.google.com and type Wildlife Centers in the search window.

Rick Sammon is the author of 21 photography, nature and conservation books.