Zoo shots for Critique

cherylynne1 · Apr 1, 2016

We got a zoo membership this year, and it was definitely a good idea...I think we've already gone about six times. There aren't many things that are educational, good exercise, and adored by the kids all at the same time. Plus, I get to practice photography, which is always awesome!

Anyway, I know I'm not going to get hired by National Geographic or anything and that mediocre results are about the best that can ever be expected from my equipment, but I always like to do the best I can with what I have. So any tips on getting better results with my current equipment would be great. Especially if you have tips on shooting through glass...I've been using the dehaze slider, which helps a bit, but I'm wondering if there's a better way.

Thanks for looking!

DSC05742 by cherylynne1, on Flickr

DSC06235 by cherylynne1, on Flickr

DSC06304 by cherylynne1, on Flickr

DSC06526 by cherylynne1, on Flickr

JacaRanda · Apr 1, 2016

Nice set. I can't tell which ones of these are being shot through glass (and I'm not trying). So whatever you are doing, it's working. Watch the crop on the bear, nearly chopped it's paw off. Sometimes you get what you can, but always be mindful of what's in the background. After you get the initial shot, a step to the left or right to avoid branches or any other object is helpful.
The wolf and the cheetah are my favorites.
Keep shooting and sharing

cherylynne1 · Apr 1, 2016

Thank you, JacaRanda! It's a huge compliment coming from you! The bear is actually cropped from a landscape shot, but there was so much "stuff" in the picture that way that I thought it would look better in portrait. However, there was just barely enough room to crop it that way, lol! I agree, a step backwards and/or shooting in that orientation to begin with would have been better. Thanks for your comments!

robbins.photo · Apr 1, 2016

Shooting pictures at a zoo. Huh. Ok, sounds whacky but sure, I'll try to keep an open mind. Lol

Ok, so these are all really fantastic. Jaca already covered the cropping on the bear. If it were me I'd probably push in a little tighter on the cheetah shot to get rid of the out of focus log at the bottom, it's a bit distracting. On the meerkat shot maybe clone out the sticks on the right side of the frame if possible. But all in all really great stuff.

Shooting pictures... at a zoo. What will you crazy kids think of next...

Sent from my N9518 using Tapatalk

dannylightning · Apr 1, 2016

great set. that is all i have to say lol

cherylynne1 · Apr 1, 2016

Thank you for the suggestions, Zoo Guy!

I'll definitely try that. I was really hoping you'd comment, because your opinion means a lot to me!!

And I agree, people that take pictures at the zoo are total weirdos....

Thank you dannylightning! That always helps to hear!!

pjaye · Apr 1, 2016

These are really fantastic. It's not easy getting shots at the zoo sometimes, god knows I've tried. Really well done, especially the first one. Love it.

cherylynne1 · Apr 1, 2016

Thank you, symplybarb! Yeah, my keeper rate is pretty terrible, and I have more pictures of animal butts than I can count. But every once in awhile I get lucky!

robbins.photo · Apr 1, 2016

cherylynne1 said:
Thank you for the suggestions, Zoo Guy! I'll definitely try that. I was really hoping you'd comment, because your opinion means a lot to me!!

You've been drinking again haven't you? Lol

And I agree, people that take pictures at the zoo are total weirdos....
!

Man isn't that the truth.. I could tell you stories.. rotfl.

calamityjane · Apr 1, 2016

Nice attempts! Agree with the bear-cropping comment. As backgrounds at zoos can be a bit zoo-ey/non-natural, shoot wide open to blur as much of the background as possible (when it's not looking great). You may be doing that already - I don't know what lenses you are using, but am guessing you weren't using f2.8. Tips for shooting through glass - here's a link that may be helpful. 3 quick tips for taking pictures through glass | Digital Camera World A polariser may also help.

cherylynne1 · Apr 1, 2016

Thank you, calamityjane! Unfortunately, I was using the kit telezoom, which is 55-210 3.5-6.3, I think. I was probably even stopped down a bit for sharpness on some of them. I've tried using the 50 1.8, but it really doesn't seem to be close enough in most cases. The 70-200 2.8 isn't out yet (I shoot Sony) and even when it is, I don't think I'll be able to justify the cost. But I totally agree with you that it would be the best tool for the job.

I'm hoping to get the Nikkor 105 2.5 in the next few months and adapt it...so it might be fun to try some experiments with that to see if I can get anything with manual focus.

And thank you for the link! It has some great tips. I'll definitely try them next time.

Watchful · Apr 1, 2016

Nice snaps there, the ones where the background doesn't look man-made are always the best shots. Animals in boxes are not so interesting somehow.

cherylynne1 · Apr 1, 2016

Thank you, Watchful! I agree. The zoo actually has a huge 13 acre African "safari" section with a bunch of different animals in it, including elephants, zebras, white rhinos and giraffes. It's pretty amazing and it's our favorite area. Unfortunately, I feel like my compositional skills are still lacking a bit in my pictures taken there, so I didn't include any of those. It's one thing to try to focus on the animal and crop out as much of the background as possible, but it's a totally different story to try to capture a well-composed safari scene. I'll keep trying, though, because it's seriously awesome!!