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11/06/2004 07:51:24 PM · #1 |
Took the wife and kids to the North Carolina Zoo today. Beautiful day out, the sun was shining, but not too hot to schlep around all day with a toddler, an infant, and all their gear.
We got a lot of decent shots... the only ones that I didn't like were shot through glass. The wife and I plan to go back without the youngins and check out the rest of the zoo... we only got through half of the exhibits today. Feel free to take a look and let me know what you think.
-Dan
Message edited by author 2004-11-08 08:06:15. |
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11/06/2004 07:58:40 PM · #2 |
Great shots. Just wondering what lens you used?
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11/06/2004 08:40:24 PM · #3 |
| A Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO... not a bad lens for the price... especially for a beginner. |
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11/06/2004 08:42:20 PM · #4 |
Hey, these are nice! I actually do like the zebra featured here the best, but all are good.
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11/07/2004 07:56:18 AM · #5 |
Welland and David, thank you for your comments.
Anyone else with thoughts? Positive or negative...
-Dan |
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11/07/2004 10:02:12 AM · #6 |
Nice shots...I really liked the ones of the lioness and her cubs. Very sweet.
It looks like you were at the zoo in a really bright part of the day...which is exactly when I was at the zoo when I went back during Wildlife. It's so hard to get the shots you really want with the sun beating down on you. Here, the zoo doesn't even open until 10 am and closes at 5 pm so there's not any "golden hour" time but I tried to make do with what I had, as you did. I had a little trouble with haze as well, which seems to show up in a couple of your shots too. Of course, I have much more limited equipment than you do so you were able to compensate for it much better than I can. I was able to pull off a few "through the glass" shots by putting my lens up against the glass and praying a lot.
We're going back today and I will try again... best of luck to you when you return sans younguns! Thanks for sharing!!!! :o) |
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11/07/2004 10:39:57 AM · #7 |
Great pics, the zebra one is my favorite also, but I always have soft spot for any animals with their young, so the cubs really stand out to me also.
I visit the pittsburgh zoo here often and have run into the problems with the lighting and the glass too. Has anyone found a best time to go? Ours is only open a few hours a day, 10-5 sounds about right, and often either the lighting is "less than ideal" or the animals are at their laziest point in the days and don't like to be seen.
The "against the glass" tip works well, this is about the best pic I have been able to get through glass, and it still seemed to lose some of the "crispness"
through the glass photo
Again great job, best of luck when you go back and I look forward to seeing more! I think we are on the way to the zoo today also, so lets hope for the best!
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11/07/2004 10:58:09 AM · #8 |
I like the first 'real' elephant shot, it almost looks like s/he's frolicking in the foliage. The second 'real' elephant shot has the dreaded tree growing out of his/her back. Looks like you were suffering from harsh light and shadows on the rhino shots. Nothing you can really do to avoid that other than hope for a slightly overcast day or they find a good shadowed area. The zebra looks like it has glass reflections, but I think they add an unusual arty feel to it. The first baboon shot is a little too center with a lot of surrounding environment. Getting closer or cropping may help with the composition. Awwww, you got a little baby baboon! The composition in the second baboon shot is great, just unfortunate about the light/shadow - it really makes getting the exposure right so difficult. The meercat is.... it looks out of focus, a little too central, and hazy. Gorillas are tough to expose right, especially when they are in bright light. The composition is good with it being surrounded by foliage but you have lost some highlights and shadows due to the lighting conditions. The flamingo is a tad dark but the composition and detail is good. Your zoo has a lot of babies! I'm not sure what they are but the monkey shot after the flamingo is cute but again a little too centered, cropping in closer may help. The reptile shot is out of focus. You have a lot of bright light on the grass in the chimp shot so I would be tempted to crop as much as that area out as it distracts from the dark fur of the chimp. Unfortunately the focus on the first lioness/cub shot is on the grass behind them. The second lioness/cub shot is cute! The fourth lion shot is focused on the grass behind them too. Other than a little cropping the last shot is good as it has the cub alert, looking almost toward the camera, and with a nice bright eyes that has a catchlight.
Your biggest enemy was the harsh light and shadows, which you cant really control. Looks like a lot of good opportunities at the zoo, though, especially with all those babies! |
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11/07/2004 11:10:40 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by dsmcl:
I visit the pittsburgh zoo here often and have run into the problems with the lighting and the glass too. Has anyone found a best time to go? Ours is only open a few hours a day, 10-5 sounds about right, and often either the lighting is "less than ideal" or the animals are at their laziest point in the days and don't like to be seen. |
Some zoos post when the animals get fed and you'll find if you go to the exhibit shortly before the animals are more alert as they wait for the keepers. Although if you have small children with you then you may not want to stay until after they've fed as that can be disturbing to some. Otherwise it's just pure luck. If you can make the choice what day to go then try to pick a day that is slightly overcast as the lighting will be more even. The less sun the less reflections on the glass. Try to look for a spot with no reflections or smudge marks, which can be harder than it sounds. |
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11/07/2004 11:59:41 AM · #10 |
Let me start by apologizing for this long post.
Thanks, moodville, for your comments and critiques. I went through and answered some of them and tried my hand at re/cropping some of the shots. I still need to find time to run some of them through PS... with a toddler going full bore 98% of the time this might take a while. ;-)
I like the first 'real' elephant shot, it almost looks like s/he's frolicking in the foliage.
Yeah, this was my favorite of the elephant shots.
The second 'real' elephant shot has the dreaded tree growing out of his/her back.
This is the one the wife chose...
The zebra looks like it has glass reflections, but I think they add an unusual arty feel to it.
Actually, I was shooting through a little bit of shrubbery on this one. There were two or three zebras and none of them were being too cooperative...
The first baboon shot is a little too center with a lot of surrounding environment. Getting closer or cropping may help with the composition.
Cropped in a bit closer... unfortunately, shows my problems focusing... I really need to get my eyes checked. ;-) Even with the blur, I had to put this shot up... the two of them remind me of a bully and his small sidekick chewing on a tooth pick.
The meercat is.... it looks out of focus, a little too central, and hazy.
Shooting through glass sucks... not sure how to crop it for the sake of the composition, especially given how blurry it is.
Gorillas are tough to expose right, especially when they are in bright light. The composition is good with it being surrounded by foliage but you have lost some highlights and shadows due to the lighting conditions.
The gorillas are one set of animals I was looking forward to at the beginning of the day... unfortunately, had to shoot through glass, the animals were not being cooperative at all... this fella was the only one looking in our direction. And, then there was the bright light...
The flamingo is a tad dark but the composition and detail is good. Your zoo has a lot of babies!
Unfortunately, the sun was behind them and this was the only angle to view them. I did like how this shot came out though.
I'm not sure what they are but the monkey shot after the flamingo is cute but again a little too centered, cropping in closer may help.
They are patas monkeys if I remember correctly. I've cropped both shots in a bit, hopefully they are a bit better off now.
The reptile shot is out of focus.
Yeah. It was a quick shot... those little buggers can move. As with a few others, I included it here for the wife.
You have a lot of bright light on the grass in the chimp shot so I would be tempted to crop as much as that area out as it distracts from the dark fur of the chimp.
Yeah, there was a lot more clumps of bright grass before I cropped it where I did. This is another shot through glass and they were a good distance off. I haven't really messed with this photo in PS yet... will have to try and see what can be done...
Unfortunately the focus on the first lioness/cub shot is on the grass behind them. The second lioness/cub shot is cute! The fourth lion shot is focused on the grass behind them too. Other than a little cropping the last shot is good as it has the cub alert, looking almost toward the camera, and with a nice bright eyes that has a catchlight.
I have a bunch of photos of these three... I chose a few of my favorites without spending enough time looking closely. I'll have to go through the rest of the shots and see if any of the others faired better. The last shot is my favorite.
Your biggest enemy was the harsh light and shadows, which you cant really control. Looks like a lot of good opportunities at the zoo, though, especially with all those babies!
With any luck, when the wife and I head back out, the weather will be a bit more in favor of the camera...
-Dan |
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