Do you photograph caged animals???

[The_Traveler]

While it is well known that animals DO have emotional ability and are quite capable of understanding,

I was talking to my dog this morning and he said, "you know, I'm sort of embarassed that you watch me poop all the time. Please have some consideration for my feelings and turn away or bring a paper to read."

I replied, "don't talk to me about feelings and embarassment. Why is it that when we have guests over, you wander into the room and then casually sit down and start licking your, well anything you can reach?"

"OK," he said, "You have a point. Why don't you just make believe that I'm just a dumb mammal with no capacity for the higher feelings like embarassment or empathy. And, of course, I'll do the same for you."

 

[Mike_E]

LOL I guess that explains run-way models.

 

[_SnapShot_]

No but not because of some issue with the feelings of animals or if they feel demeaned. I just don't find the pictures to be very interesting most of the time.

Animals in the zoo, if they have feelings, are feeling pretty good. They get fed on a regular basis. If they get sick, a vet takes care of them. They get vaccinations against deseases. They are the subject of attention, love and praise, on a daily basis. They don't have to worry about being eaten by some other animal higher up on the food chain. They can relax and not have to fight for or scrounge for food all day long. They are prize specimens and have a good life. They live longer than wild animals and aren't subject to the desease, starvation or hazards of the wild.

Zoo? The animals love it. It's like being on full pay retirement.

 

[RMThompson]

I was talking to my dog this morning and he said, "you know, I'm sort of embarassed that you watch me poop all the time. Please have some consideration for my feelings and turn away or bring a paper to read."

I replied, "don't talk to me about feelings and embarassment. Why is it that when we have guests over, you wander into the room and then casually sit down and start licking your, well anything you can reach?"

"OK," he said, "You have a point. Why don't you just make believe that I'm just a dumb mammal with no capacity for the higher feelings like embarassment or empathy. And, of course, I'll do the same for you."

:hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: :hail:

BEST... POST..... EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbup: :thumbup:

 

[DSLR noob]

zoos wit hanimals raised in captivity it is ok. animals cught, they shouldn't be in the cage in the first place. Photgraph them if you want. I know animals can understand but I doubt they know what the cameras are doing.

 

[sabbath999]

Well, since the name of my photo website is http://www.zoopictures.net you can safely assume I have taken literally thousands of pictures of animals in captivity.

I do, however, make a big distinction between what I do and shooting them in the wild... I tell people where and when the pictures were taken. I don't try to pass off zoo pictures as pictures taken in the wild... although a lot of the pictures I end up taking are of indigenous animals who just happen to live in the zoos (squirrels, water birds, bugs, etc.)

I am a big supporter of zoos, and the AZA's Species Survival Plan. If anybody wants to hear me preach about it (which I SINCERELY doubt) let me know and I will wax philosophic for y'all.

I see both the good and the bad in keeping animals in captivity, and I try to show that in my pictures...

Sometimes they are happy...

And... sometimes... not so much...

 

[dgs]

It seems to me the most important thing in photographing a critter without said critter experiencing the agony of feeling demeaned is to NEVER EVER use auto exposure control when photographing said critter. Full manual settings are best as some of the more sensitive critters can sense Program mode and feel slighted. Aperture or Shutter Priority are questionable but probably acceptable if full manual control is beyond your skill set.

If possible, always use a lens f2.8 or faster. Cheap glass is an affront to critters. There is nothing like the glint off a kit lens to put a sensitive critter off it's feed. We needn't discuss point and shoot cameras, need we?

Critters in coastal areas, particularly California, seem somewhat sensitive to branding. No, No, not the hot iron kind. Of course, when giving offense is an issue one is always safer shooting Canon.

 

[Mike_E]

Hmm, I would think a Canon would make them jumpy. Especially the ones who are against the whole military/economic industrial thing.

mike

 

[Garbz]

Yeah and Pandas would get angry if people don't shoot Nikon.

Honestly though I agree some zoos are poor. But others are even better than nature. If I were a tiger I'd much rather be in a zoo than in the wild. A free feed every day along makes it worth while.

As a photographer though I fail to see any problem ethical or otherwise about photographing caged animals.

 

[Iron Flatline]

Find a book by Gary Winogrand called "Animals".

 

[Orgnoi1]

List of things to do today:

1) Raise Taxes
2) Stop Global Thermo-Nuclear War
3) Abolish all Zoos...

I mean come on... most people would NEVER get the opportunity to shoot some of the exotic animals that are at zoos... I am an equal opportunity shooter... no man, beast or inanimate object is safe...LOL

 

[Irminsul]

I don't take pictures of animals behind cages because it's a pain in the a** to shoot through the bars. Fortunately for me, I live in Miami and Metro Zoo here provides all its animals with ample, uncaged "pads." I've visited the zoo often in the last year and I must say that the animals show no signs of the type of cage stress I've seen in other zoos. On the contrary, they're are active and contented. They seem happy. I'm convinced that some of them even like to pose for you. But that's just the romantic in me.

 

[AUZambo]

While it is well known that animals DO have emotional ability and are quite capable of understanding, I'm not against shooting caged animals...

Did anyone else get a kick out of this sentence? I know we're talking about photography, but it's still pretty funny!
:lmao: