Volume 2, No. 3. February 8, 2002
Show me plumes, luv!
The picture is something you might
see on the cover of National Geographic Magazine: a tight shot of an
American flamingo digging its beak into bright orange plumage. The photo adorns
the cover of the Oklahoma Zoological Society's 2002 calendar and was shot by
David Sims for the price of a free zoo membership. All of the 39 photos used
in the calendar, shot by 22 different amateur sphotographers, came at the same
low cost to the zoo.
The calendar is a product
of the Oklahoma City Zoo's annual "Capture the Wild" photography program. It
starts with a two-day seminar in June when a couple of local professional photographers
take up to 30 guests, who must reserve a spot in the program, around the zoo,
offering tips on shooting wildlife.
The program's centerpiece is the annual photo contest. In conjunction with the
International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, a neighbor to the Oklahoma
City Zoo, the Society accepts entries from mid-July to mid-August. Photographers
can enter as often as they want at no charge. The only restrictions are that
the photos must be 8-inch by 10-inch or 12-inch mounted prints, and they must
be shot at the zoo. "Preference in judging will be given to animals currently
in the collection," said Betsy Allie, associate director of the Oklahoma Zoological
Society, also known as Zoo Friends.
While some of the photos clearly show the Oklahoma City Zoo landscape, others,
like Sims' cover photo, could be taken anywhere. But, said Allie, they wouldn't
past muster in the competition. "The keepers look at all the photos, and they
know their animals," she said. "We're also assuming these folks are sincere
zoo friends." Besides, photographers have little reason to cheat; even at the
deadline of the entries, the Zoo Friends don't know what the prizes will be,
except memberships in the Society and the International Photography Hall of
Fame and Museum. By the time of the judging in September, local sponsors have
donated awards, ranging from restaurant gift certificates to airline tickets.
Last year the Society received more than 400 entries by 200 photographers from
23 communities around the state, Texas and Indiana. The entries were divided
into seven categories: mammals, birds, landscape, aquatic-reptiles-amphibians,
youth through age 8, youth 9-12 and youth 13-18. Sims won Best of Show. Meanwhile,
10-year-old Kyle Abbot's work was entered in the adult division and his puffer
fish won first place in the aquatic, reptiles and amphibians category. The youngest
entrant was a 3-year-old. "The camera was too heavy for him to hold up, and
he took a picture that was mostly ground," Allie said. "I give his mother a
lot of credit; he wanted to be in the competition, so she blew it up and entered
it."
Aas with every other entry, that photo hung in a month-long exhibit at the Photography
Hall of Fame. "That's been one of the nicest things that comes out of this collaboration,"
Allie said. "Kids get a huge charge out of seeing their things displayed in
an adult setting." The Society then culls through the pictures to use in its
annual calendar.
The Society views the whole program—from the photography seminars through
the competition to the calendar—as an educational tool, Allie said, exposing
participants to different animals and their habits. The calendar also serves
as a Zoo Friends membership benefit and a marketing tool for any of the members'
friends who see the calendar or attend the photo exhibit.
The Society gets a bonus benefit from the program, too. All the photographs
in the competition become the property of the Oklahoma Zoological Society to
use in publications and promotions. "We have a wonderful library of photos to
use in our publicity material," Allie said. Professional quality at amateur
prices.