Yup.. Zoo Pics

[robbins.photo]

Had some fun at the zoo today:

20140608 510 by robbins.photo, on Flickr


20140608 182 by robbins.photo, on Flickr


20140608 382 by robbins.photo, on Flickr


20140608 N50 051 by robbins.photo, on Flickr

 

[FITBMX]

That zoo should hire you to take photos for them, because they are always such great shots!
I've only had one chance to go to the zoo with my camera, and I had trouble with the glass! What's the best way to take photos through glass?

 

[mishele]

Man, I so want that last shot to be sharper. Did you have to shoot through glass? He is just an amazing animal.

 

[robbins.photo]

That zoo should hire you to take photos for them, because they are always such great shots!
I've only had one chance to go to the zoo with my camera, and I had trouble with the glass! What's the best way to take photos through glass?

I've tried CPL's but they aren't really much use when shooting through pexiglass because the stuff reflects on multiple levels and as such the CPL really doesn't do much at all for reducing the reflections. That and they cut the amount of light coming into the lens so that for indoor shots they just really aren't worth having for the most part. Best technique I've found is to try and find a spot that offers you the shot you want, look through the viewfinder and see if you can spot some reflections, if you see them try moving slightly right or left, try changing the angle slightly, etc, until you can push the reflection either out of frame or far enough to the outside that you can shoot wide and crop. It's not a perfect solution but it's the best method I've come up with to date.

Man, I so want that last shot to be sharper. Did you have to shoot through glass? He is just an amazing animal.

Yes, sadly the zoo has all sorts of crazy rules about actually getting into the enclosures to take pictures. They won't even let you do it if your willing to sign a waiver. Go figure.. lol

So yup sometimes I just have to do the best I can - on some of the shots where I have a bit more light to work with I can sharpen more in post, but a shot like this only so much you can do before you start introducing a lot of noise. I'll play with it a bit though and see if I can sharpen it up a tad without making the noise too bad.

 

[Overread40]

Try using a large black sheet of card for reflections.

Make a round hole in the middle and put your lens through it - the card then acts like a barrier, blocking light from behind you from landing on the glass and causing reflections. You can also use rubber lens hoods so you can press them right up to the glass surface - in that case the rubber basically blocks out all surrounding light so that, again, you can get a shot without the distracting reflections from the glass.

Zoo shooting is certainly a challenge with all the annoying foreground barriers that can get in the way of a shot.

 

[robbins.photo]

Try using a large black sheet of card for reflections.

Make a round hole in the middle and put your lens through it - the card then acts like a barrier, blocking light from behind you from landing on the glass and causing reflections. You can also use rubber lens hoods so you can press them right up to the glass surface - in that case the rubber basically blocks out all surrounding light so that, again, you can get a shot without the distracting reflections from the glass.

Zoo shooting is certainly a challenge with all the annoying foreground barriers that can get in the way of a shot.

Might have to give the card thing a try, the cat complex actually has railing in front of the glass so you can't get close enough to put the lens up against it the glass itself, might be able to try that at the gorilla complex at some point though. Zoo shooting does present it's own unique set of challenges, but I do enjoy it.

 

[Overread40]

Normally I find most cat enclosures are fine for getting up to the glass (though I know some zoos do put barriers there to stop people banging on it); but they are the worst for having 2 layers of fencing on the wire bits so that you can't get the lens right up to the wire to get ride of it (I guess they don't want cats getting free fingers as part of their diet).

 

[robbins.photo]

Normally I find most cat enclosures are fine for getting up to the glass (though I know some zoos do put barriers there to stop people banging on it); but they are the worst for having 2 layers of fencing on the wire bits so that you can't get the lens right up to the wire to get ride of it (I guess they don't want cats getting free fingers as part of their diet).

Yup.. which is why I don't get a lot of shots outdoors, they only have the one enclosure that doesn't have wire all around the outside of it and barriers so you can't get close enough to the wire so I'm limited on the leopards, jaguar and male lion to indoor shots only - I just can't stand the wire enclosures, pretty much ruins the shot for me. The bengal tiger's enclosure is sort of an atrium kind of deal so on a bright sunny day I usually have sufficient light to work with but the critter can be pretty wiley at times, she seems to know exactly where to go so you just can't get a decent camera angle on her.. lol.

 

[FITBMX]

If your ever in Kansas go to the Sedgwick country Zoo, several of there exhibits are moats so there is no wire!
I went in the winter so everything was not out, or be hind glass.

 

[LarryLomona]

Excellent,Great shots

 

[TamiAz]

Love the shot of the gorilla's face..Beautiful!! :heart:

 

[robbins.photo]

If your ever in Kansas go to the Sedgwick country Zoo, several of there exhibits are moats so there is no wire!
I went in the winter so everything was not out, or be hind glass.

Well it would be a long haul for me, about a 4 hour drive - but might be doable at some stage. They are expanding my department and adding another guy so I might actually be able to take some time off at some stage in the future - maybe take an extra day or two and do a weekend trip.

 

[baturn]

They are all great, but the leopard is beautiful.

 

[Raj_55555]

The amur leopard is quickly overtaking my fascination for the Gorillas, what a handsome kitty. #3 looks pretty mad at you, what were did you do to it?

 

[IzzieK]

Of course the gorillas are an excellent shot always for Robbins. The last one seems to have a bit more yellows than usual...the feet part looks good though, just the right amount of yellow.