How do you shoot zoo animals??

[TamiAz]

Went to the zoo today and took a bunch of pictures, but almost all of them look like snap shots. Animals aren't willing to stop and pose, so I would just start shooting and hope for the best. Does anyone have any tips for zoo pictures.

My kids were allowed to feed the giraffes, so we got nice and close..This was my favorite.

 

[DorkSterr]

Have patience. Oterwise just start shooting and hope for the best.

 

[Overread]

Light is a little harsh and I would have prefered the frame a little higher up (giving a bit more head detail from the animal and a little less deadspace at the bottom) A little more to show the full hand would also help - but overall I do like what you've captured.


As for getting better a few ideas you can work on;

1) Don't take family/non-photographer friends. Not being anti-social, but when you're out and about with people for things other than photography (esp if its with family) then its a lot harder to do what you need to help get those top shots. Instead you'll find yourself focusing on your companions far more; talking and interacting with them; heck capturing shots of them. That is no bad thing, but if you walk in wanting shots of the tigers then its somewhat distracting.

2) Get in early - zoos tend to open late which makes things more tricky; but getting in as soon as you can has a few bonuses. First up the light will be softer than at midday; secondly you can often avoid the early crowds this way. Giving you a little more room and a little more peace and quite for a while.

3) Plan your trip - have an idea of what animals you want to focus on - this could be anything from following the feed times around (most zoos have rolling feed/attraction events so that you can move around and catch most of them one after the other) through to only going to get pics of one single animal.

4) Scout out the pens - don't just roll up, shoot and move away; spend a little time trying different positions and seeing what else is on offer. Remember sometimes you'll find that the ideal position will be away from where the animals are when you arrive; you either accept that and move location or settle down and wait.

5) Chat with the keepers/staff - ideally when they are not dashing from AtoB doing things - a quick chat can often give some great results and hints; things like a certain animals habbits or general motions around their pen. These can be great little tidbits of info, esp if you don't have the option to return to the zoo time after time to build your own info pool on familiarity with the specific animals.

6) Get up close; not that you must only take close shots, but rather that you get close to any wire/bars/glass screens that you can. This helps since being close to wire helps to blurr it out of vision of the camera; whilst being close to the glass reduces reflections. Sometimes this is more tricky (big cats often have a second further barrier to prevent you getting close enough to press up to the wire (and thus be in range of kitty claws).

7) Seek special benefits - this is more easily done with a zoo you can visit often and is also generally a lot easier with smaller wildlife centres or family run zoos. Asking for favours (keepers are about the best place to start rather than ticket operators) such as getting early entry to the zoo (most zoos start work much more early than the public are let in). This is clearly more tricky are bigger establishments as the staff have more restricted freedoms and the chances of talking to real desision makers is more limited - on the other hand big places often have annual sponcerships and events for those members; joining up is a great way to network and hopefully meet those gatekeepers.

 

[SCraig]

Lots and lots and lots of trips to the zoo. I live about 2 miles from the Nashville Zoo and am usually by there every couple of weeks for a little while. There are still some animals there I haven't gotten much of anything from.

The animals that aren't very active are the hardest since no matter how long I wait they seldom to much. The best time to shoot them is around feeding time if you can find out when that is. They know when it's time to eat and they will start moving around about that time of day.

Occasionally they will pose or I'll get lucky. The Clouded Leopards act like they know me and will usually stare straight into my eyes. There is also a Bushmaster (snake) that hates me. He will be coiled quietly and when I show up he starts getting active. Nobody else, just me. I think it's because I seared his eyes with a flash from about 2" once.

 

[TamiAz]

Yikes, I posted this is the wrong forum and it came up three times....Soooo sorry. Mods please delete or move.

 

[Overread]

No problem - moving this one and closing the other two - also if you need to contact mods in the future do feel free to use the report post command (the little triangle in the lower left corner of a post under a users details) to help ensure one of us catches it

 

[TamiAz]

Thank you for the great tips!! I was there with my kids and they don't like to hang out for long periods of time at any one animal, so we're moving around. I think going by myself next time is probably better. I'll also plan my next trip first thing in the morning for better lighting.

 

[12sndsgood]

agreed going alone without the family is the best option if you really want to concentrate on some decent shots. i go with family and its just too hurried to try and wait for that good shot. your too disctracted trying to watch your family and watch the animals.

 

[Forkie]

Find an angle, if possible, where there are no fences, people, zoo toys (like monkey tyres and nets etc), concrete or artificial things in the pens. If I can't get such an angle for a particular animal, I don't even bother. If you can go at the right time of year, take most of your shots during the golden hour. This can give the impression of being shot in the wild.

Also, be patient. Be prepared to sit by a particular pen for long time to get the shot you want. Don't expect to do a tour of the whole zoo. Decide what animal(s) you want to shoot and spend the time getting it right.

Here are some of my best zoo shots from Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, UK.


Cheetah by Forkie, on Flickr

Red Panda by Forkie, on Flickr

Lionesses by Forkie, on Flickr

The lionesses and the cheetah were taken right at the end of the day when the zoo was about to close. As they are both African, I used the light of the Golden Hour to get the warm, African feel to them. And since I knew that Red Pandas live in China I waited for this one to come out of its little wooden hut to eat some of the bamboo that was in his pen to give the impression it was in its natural habitat.