If you’re an RV enthusiast, chances are, you spend a fair amount of time watching wildlife along the hiking trails and in the parks you visit. Wildlife can be elusive, but there are several wild animal parks and zoos across the U.S. that make it possible for you and your family to get “up close and personal” with exotic creatures.
Perhaps the best-known U.S. parks are the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Both offer guided safari experiences give you firsthand experiences with the amazing creatures that share our planet.
If your next RV excursion is closer to home, you can discover exotic, wild animals at Iowa’s Blank Park Zoo, which has 22 acres of animal exhibits and facilities. Currently, there are more than 100 animal species at the zoo, from sloths and ring-tailed lemurs to snow leopards and parakeets.
And, if you want to capture great images of the animals during your visit, here are five tips:
1. Use a tripod to keep the camera steady.
2. Zoom in. Portraits of the animals’ faces will give you lots of great material for that scrapbook later. If you have a point and shoot camera, become familiar with your zoom feature in advance. Even better, use your 35mm camera with a long zoom lens.
3. Disable camera sounds. The beeping of the autofocus or the shutter sounds can startle skittish animals.
4. Visit the zoo early in the morning or late in the evening. The light is gorgeous and you’ll see even more animals moving about.
5. Stay safe. The animals in animal parks and zoos are still wild creatures. Treat them with respect.
If you’re photographing animals in the wild, The National Park Service offers some thoughtful reminders about viewing wildlife. http://www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/viewing-wildlife-reminders.htm
Which animal parks or zoos have you visited? Have you captured any great animal photos?
No comments:
Post a Comment