Entry #8 Taking Photo's at The Zoo

Recently, I went on a photo expedition to the Wildlife World Zoo in Waddell, AZ with my little brother. Our goal was to try to get some professional looking shots of the animals. We had never tried this before, so we weren't sure how it would work out. Though, I think after spending the whole day there, we got some pretty cool shots (my brother's are a little better than mine). I figured why not show off some of my shots while telling some of the techniques we used that day.  

Before I get into what we learned,  I would just like to say if you are just getting into photography or perhaps just bought a new camera, the zoo is an awesome place go. Not only do you have some interesting subjects, but the multitude of challenges that come up make it great for honing your skills or testing a new camera. If you have been trying to think of a place, definitely put the zoo (any zoo) on your list. 

Squirrel Monkey, DSC-hx100v

 1. Get as close to the cage as possible

The first issue we ran into was taking photos of the animals that were behind wire cages. We found that the best way to get around this was to get up close to the cage and then zoom in a bit to avoid the bars blocking the lens. This only worked well when the animal was further away from the bars though, if you could not zoom in a little bit the mesh would still be visible. 





2. Look for an interesting scene--be patient

Black And White Capuchin Monkey, DSC-hx100v

A lot of the animals would have their backs turned or be up inside their hideaways. We learned that if we just patiently and silently waited for a while, the animal would eventually come into perfect view. We also found we would catch some pretty funny moments by hanging out for awhile. In fact, my brother caught a great photo of this Capuchin Monkey brushing his teeth with a stick (he wouldn't let me post it on here). So just be patient, if your favorite animal is sleeping when you first walk up or the lighting is bad; either just wait it out for a bit or or do a lap and come back. 

3. When there's glass, pass on the flash. 

Sea Turtle, DSC-hx100v

On the glass enclosures especially at the aquarium we found that there would be some really annoying reflections. On top of that, our cameras were demanding that a flash be used. This would have been a big "no no." Not only could the flash have scared the animals, but it also would have made a horrible reflection off of the glass. Therefore, you will definitely want to turn off the auto flash feature on your camera if you plan to go here. Ultimately, the best way to avoid the reflections was to get right up close to the glass. 

Ringtail Lemur, DSC-hx100v

4. Use a higher shutter speed 

We did not have this issue so much until it came to the Ringtail Lemurs. Nevertheless, the little guys were moving so much that our photos kept turning out blurry. I think the issue was that they were also a little further away. We solved the problem by turning up the shutter speed a bit. Although, this would only work if the lighting is ideal. 




5. You win some you lose some

Bengal Tiger, DSC-hx100v

Sometimes, no matter how hard we tried, we were unable to get the photo we wanted. Whether it be the way the enclosure was setup, or the animals not wanting to cooperate, we just had to had to do the best we could. Inevitably, if you go you will run into this problem too; however, just remember you can always edit the picture later or come back to the zoo another day.