Can a photographer use pictures taken at the Zoo?

[joedlh]

You're probably safe for most uses, the exception being if you use the photos for commercial gain. If the opportunity presents itself to use one of your outstanding images on the cover of a magazine or in a magazine article or for an advertising campaign for an unrelated product, or if you planned to mass market the images as posters or in calendars, then it would be best to make arrangements with the zoo management and get a property release. You may have to pay for the rights or make a donation to the zoo.

By the way, the people at the zoo who care for the animals will most likely recognize the animals.

A word of advice about zoo pictures. Any hint of a human presence will clearly identify the image as a "zoo shot", with all the attendant recriminations about animals held in captivity against their will. Collars, tags, toys, cages, wire, even litter. So try to compose your shots with this in mind.