The Zoo [part Ii] - Topic

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Dec 6 2009 12:03am

Just recently got my zoo membership down here in San Diego (only $42 since I'm a UCSD student so well worth it). Here's a couple of shots that came out well, with some notes on each and a bit about the experience seeing as how zoo photography is one of those deceptively hard to do properly for a great variety of reasons. If you guys have any tips, I'm all ears.

Firstly, the enclosures are designed for safety first, not a clear shot. This means scratched up reflective plastic/glass and very intrusive fences that show up in frames. A large aperture, leaning in as close as you can to the barrier, shooting from the right angle, and just hoping it gets blown out of focus is your only path to a decent photograph.

Secondly, the animals are typically not very cooperative - birds stay in trees right by a fence, animals hide in their cave, etc. Not much you can do about this but plan out your trip properly and be patient with the ones you really want something out of. Just don't be like my friend and stay at an area waiting for an animal to wake up despite it not even being in the exhibit.

Thirdly, small children. Cute as heck and sometimes worth a pedobear photo or two of their excitement at a particular exhibit, but they're dangerous stuff when you're not paying attention to what's around you staring down a viewfinder getting your telephoto on.

1. 40 minutes camped in the aviary to get this picture, but the goal I set for the visit was that I would get a hummingbird picture, so here it is. These things are fast like you wouldn't believe so you really have to be paying attention for when they decide to hover.

2. As some of you may know, birds-in-flight-with-foliage are one of the hardest things to photograph because on everything other than pro-level cameras, the autofocus is incapable of tracking the subject properly. The keeper rate is pretty low for me, but every once in a while, you get lucky. It's not a blow-your-mind picture, but nailing the focus with a proper pan makes this picture work right.

3. Considering how I dropped my filter (taken off to get rid of a bit of flare) off a second story viewing platform into the first story exhibit - had to hop the fence to get it back, I have to post this even if it isn't particularly good. 8 rounded blades in the aperture diaphram = nice circular bokeh.

4. Not a great picture on a technical level since the rear fence is still visible (not too distracting, thankfully), but the moment itself is brilliant. Good things cats (house ones and big cats alike) look like they're smiling at all times.

5. I wish the fence were a bit closer to me so I could get it totally out of focus, but the practically human portrait quality of the shot makes me like it despite its flaws.

6. And because I'm particularly tired tonight, a shot of animal that sleeps 19 hours a day without fail.

I know there are some of you guys out there who are also more interested in wildlife than portrait type/artistic stuff, so if you'd like to post something here for everyone to see, you're welcome to do so. We can all stand to learn a bit from each other.

Thanks for reading/viewing!

This post was edited by FlayrFlak on Dec 6 2009 12:08am