Noobie going to the zoo... advice on taking nice pics?

[kinghong1970]

i've recently purchased the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS from this forum and was planning to take the family and my new toy out to the bronx zoo this weekend...

as i recall, last time i went to the zoo with my kit lens, the result was... mediocre at best...
pics did not look sharp... more like they were "faded out"

any advice, tips and hints on taking some nice pics?

i plan on taking the 70-200 and my 30mm for more family pics and whatnot...

thanks!

[gonzogolf]

First rule, keep your expectations in check. The zoo experience is rarely as good as you think it would be. Animals are either out of view, behind dirty glass, or showing you the wrong end. Shooting through zoo glass, or fences takes a toll on sharpness, and if you go mid day you get hard constrasty light with deep shadows in bad places. Your best bet is to go later in the day, the animals are more active, there are often fewer people, and the light is better.

[gjl711]

All the rules of composition come into play. Look for the good shot. Look at the background and move around until you get something decent. Be patient. When you get there, look at the feeding times and plan your visit to be there before feeding. They are way more active when feeding time is coming. Use the rail to steady your camera. Don't be afraid to bump the ISO if needed. Watch the histogram insuring good exposure.

But sometimes no matter what you do all them critters do is laze around.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3458321338_df9fab84a5.jpg

[snyderman]

Spot meter to get good exposure on your subject, then CROP the rest out!!!

As someone mentioned above, try to set your expectations accordingly. My shots from last Friday were taken on a cloudless day between 11am and 2pm. Almost everything that wasn't in the shade was a challenge and didn't work out as well as expected. Spot metered most animals and many of those came out ok, I guess.

Took the same lens you'll be using!

dave

[kinghong1970]

thanks for the advice... as i'm still a newbie in this hobby... and will be juggling photography with 3 kids and a wife... yea, my expectations are not high up in the air...

i'm just quite anxious to get out there and test out the new lens...

i still have a ton to learn...

thanks again!

[JWright]

I've been shooting in zoos for years and a while back wrote an article about it for my local camera club. I've attached a pdf of the article. Hope it helps...

438497

[kinghong1970]

wow... the PDF is great! it is pretty much what i've been looking for...
thank you very much... !

Albert

[Overread]

I would say if you are going with family to the zoo chances are you are going to be distracted by family, so don't pressure yourself to dedicate the day to shooting - shoot and have fun with the family on a day out. I'd say if you want a proper day shooting the zoo you idealy need to go alone or with other photographers (or a very understanding other half). Simply put if you move from cage to cage through the day chances are you will miss key interesting times and the animals might only be showing your their (photographically) worst. Feeding times are good to note as you go in since they tend to ensure some lively action and its something to entertain the kids with as well.

Bars and wire and cages - remember these don't have to be distractions and limitations, keep a clear eye out for when you can use these to your best in a shot. Zoo shooting is not about shooting animals too look like they are in the wild nor is it about shooting animals that look like they are caged - it about shooting shots you want to take (like any other area of photography) as well as the shots that you are given the oppertunity to take. So go with an open mind to content.

Flash: Yes you can use this (not on bats or similar nocturnal animals of course), but if you do keep an eye on two things - the pen and the animal. Some animals will have notices stating that you should not use flash whilst others might not have a notice, but might show annoyance/distress at its use. So keep an eye out - often most animals at a zoo are used to it and won't bat an eyelid.

Editing the results: Sometimes you can't help but get a bit of wire in a shot and often I have found that (depending on the wire, colour and how close you are focused to it) it gives you a hazy spot on a shot that is generaly ok, but rather desaturated and lacking in contrast. If you selectivly add a lot of contrast to that area you can sometimes claw back what the wire look away and get the shot to work - its a hit and miss method since its highly dependant on the shot as to if it works or not. The best is to get as close as you can to avoid it at the time of shooting.

[JWright]

I would say if you are going with family to the zoo chances are you are going to be distracted by family, so don't pressure yourself to dedicate the day to shooting - shoot and have fun with the family on a day out. I'd say if you want a proper day shooting the zoo you idealy need to go alone or with other photographers (or a very understanding other half). Simply put if you move from cage to cage through the day chances are you will miss key interesting times and the animals might only be showing your their (photographically) worst. Feeding times are good to note as you go in since they tend to ensure some lively action and its something to entertain the kids with as well.

Good point. If you discover you like shooting at the zoo, you might consider getting a membership. This way you can go back anytime you want and you won't feel the pressure to try to see everything in one day.

There are occasions when I sit in front of one enclosure for long periods of time, just to get pictures of that one animal.

Bars and wire and cages - remember these don't have to be distractions and limitations, keep a clear eye out for when you can use these to your best in a shot. Zoo shooting is not about shooting animals too look like they are in the wild nor is it about shooting animals that look like they are caged - it about shooting shots you want to take (like any other area of photography) as well as the shots that you are given the oppertunity to take. So go with an open mind to content.Very true. I try, in most cases, to eliminate wire from my pictures just because it's ugly. The one thing you should never do is present a picture taken in a zoo as being taken anywhere else.

Flash: Yes you can use this (not on bats or similar nocturnal animals of course), but if you do keep an eye on two things - the pen and the animal. Some animals will have notices stating that you should not use flash whilst others might not have a notice, but might show annoyance/distress at its use. So keep an eye out - often most animals at a zoo are used to it and won't bat an eyelid.In all the zoos I've shot in, from Portland to Phoenix, I have seen little, if any, notification about the use of flash. There is only one animal I have seen that reacted adversely to flash and that is Winston, the male Silverback gorilla at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. In fact, I was once told to use flash fill by Ron Garrison, the longtime photographer at the San Diego Zoo. I actually used flash on fruit bats at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, but we happened to get there right at feeding time and the bats were active.

Editing the results: Sometimes you can't help but get a bit of wire in a shot and often I have found that (depending on the wire, colour and how close you are focused to it) it gives you a hazy spot on a shot that is generaly ok, but rather desaturated and lacking in contrast. If you selectivly add a lot of contrast to that area you can sometimes claw back what the wire look away and get the shot to work - its a hit and miss method since its highly dependant on the shot as to if it works or not. The best is to get as close as you can to avoid it at the time of shooting.That's the big problem with the wire. If the sun is falling on it, it can act like a big diffuser. A lot of times, I'll just not shoot if the wire is brightly lit by the sun. Sometimes it's possible to come back at a different time of the day and the sun will have moved enough so the wire is in shadow.

[kinghong1970]

well, back from my first outing to the zoo... basic feedback from my first outing...

1) 90% of pics is of kids... not the animals...
i think i will make it a project everytime we go to the zoo, instead of trying to rush through and see all the exhibit, make kids (twins are 5 going on 6 now...) take notes on the animal and we'll take some pics of em...

2) well, we've decided to go to the zoo more often so took out a yearly premium membership...

3) dang zoo's close early... so we've only covered 1/4 of the zoo... he he he...

4) cages and bars and wire mesh... yea... not so cool when the birds are enclosed in a smaller cage... but meh... kids had fun so...

5) takes a bit more practice... my pic's are not that impressive, as im still learning and this is my new lens... so getting used to it...

6) moving animals are hard to snap pics of...

well, here's some of my pics from my latest trip...
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_w9jT_GnjZSc/S67EN6YJQdI/AAAAAAAAAUE/CCpTd3UJIKQ/s1024/IMG_1604.jpg
pic of birds with mustache... as per my daughters...

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_w9jT_GnjZSc/S67FPd3ZMcI/AAAAAAAAAUk/u5BttPesl4I/s1024/IMG_1606.jpg
um... yea... grasshoppa needs to learn more... guess back to wax on, wax off for me...

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_w9jT_GnjZSc/S67JqoqqXGI/AAAAAAAAAVE/NOKifLAfPcY/s1024/IMG_1533.JPG
when you're a nub, even the turtles are moving too fast... lol

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_w9jT_GnjZSc/S67JvaPejII/AAAAAAAAAVI/kA-f4S1MvaI/s1024/IMG_1543.JPG
at least this guy came out and posed for me... for a second or so...

he he he...