Snap Up Some Beauty, Maybe A Prize

You don’t have to be a professional photographer to take great pictures of Arizona’s wildlife. Phyllis Picardi of Mesa, best-in-show winner of last year’s Arizona Game and Fish Department wildlife calendar photo contest, proved that with her stunning photo of sandhill cranes in flight.

Now you have the opportunity to show your best wildlife photos, whether taken in your backyard or in scenic locations across the state. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is inviting everyone to participate in its 2008 calendar photo contest.

The competition, which runs through July 6, features the theme “Wildlife Being Wild!” Capture critters in their natural habitat eating, playing, sleeping, running, fighting and flying; the possibilities are endless.

The best-in-show winner will have his or her photo published on the cover of the department’s 2008 wildlife calendar and will receive a cash prize of $400. Twelve first-place photographs will also grace the pages of the calendar and receive $250 each.

When heading out to capture the spirit of the outdoors, Game and Fish is offering these helpful tips:

• Choose a focal point, and make all background scenery enhance it.
• Use a tripod.
• Follow the rule of thirds when framing the image in your viewfinder. Divide an image into three parts horizontally and vertically.
• Respect wildlife by viewing it from a safe distance. Do not interrupt its behavior, whether it is feeding or resting. Do not come between a parent and its offspring.
• Do not damage or remove any plant or habitat.
• Be patient—wait for the ideal shot.
• Use a faster shutter speed when photographing animals in motion, such as birds; Use a slower shutter speed when photographing moving water to create a softer image.
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For more information, including contest rules, categories and prizes, please visit azgfd.gov/photocontest.