Intimidating stare from a Silverback Gorilla
Closeup of an intimidating stare from a big silverback gorilla.
Closeup of an intimidating stare from a big silverback gorilla.
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Jul, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo while on a family trip to the Fort Worth Zoo in Fort Worth, Texas. I've been an avid photographer since taking a beginning class in High School where I learned the basics along with how to develop film and prints in the dark room. Although I've loved taking photos for decades, I never really pushed to learn more, or to do more than just hobby photography. I purchased my first DSLR, a Canon 300D, shortly before this trip and this revived not only my interest in photography, but a desire to learn more and expand my capabilities as a photographer.Time
I have always loved this photo because not only was the gorilla posing and looking straight into the lens, it came out really good considering how it was taken. It was taken with the Canon 300D and an inexpensive Sigma 70-300mm lens that I paid about a hundred dollars for. We were out walking the zoo, so I didn't have a tripod, but instead was using a monopod to help stabilize the camera. What is really surprising is how sharp it came out considering I had just switched from a shorter lens and didn't have time to change any settings when the gorilla struck his pose, so the photo was taken at f/5.0 with a relatively slow shutter speed of 1/60s and an ISO of 400. Fortunately, the monopod did it's job and the gorilla held still long enough for me to capture this photo with no motion blur. The photo was taken in the early afternoon on April 19, 2010.Lighting
Nothing special, other than it was a beautiful, sunny afternoon.Equipment
Canon 300D, Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6, mounted on a monopod. Camera settings: f/5.0, shutter speed of 1/60s, and ISO of 400.Inspiration
I have always loved nature and animals, so we take regular trips to the zoo with our family. The gorillas are such majestic and fascinating creatures, and when this big silver back came out and turned to look straight at me I had to capture the moment. I didn't know how long he would stay there because they tend to wander around a lot, so it was a quick reaction shot. I saw him come walking out into the clearing, and we were still a fair distance away, so I quickly switched from a shorter lens to the Sigma zoom lens. As soon as I got the lens mounted, I looked up and he stopped to stare at me as if he was curious about what I was doing. I didn't know how long he would stay, so I brought the camera up and snapped this photo without taking the time to change any settings. I managed to snap a couple of quick photos before he moved, and this one was the best of them.Editing
I did a few minor tweaks to the vibrance to bring out the green in the grass a bit, but for the most part, this is straight out of the camera. The 300D didn't have a RAW option, so I was only shooting in JPEG.In my camera bag
I switched to Nikon a few years ago and I have a couple of setups that I carry, depending on how I'm traveling and how much room I have. One setup is a camera backpack, and the other is small over the shoulder camera bag. I ride a motorcycle most of the time and the smaller bag fits in one of the saddlebags on my bike when my wife and I are traveling and need to put a suitcase on the luggage rack. The smaller bag holds my Nikon D5300, usually with the 18-55 lens attached. It also has room for a Nikon 70-300mm 4.5-5.6, a Nikon 50mm 1.8, an external flash, extra batteries and a charger, extra memory cards, a remote trigger, polarizing filters, and some lens cleaning supplies. The backpack that I prefer to travel with has all of the above items, plus a second external flash, an ND filter kit, a white/gray card, a folding six-way reflector, and extra cords. I also have several tripods and a pair of monopods and carry different ones depending on what type of photography I plan on doing while I'm out. One is a small, travel tripod that is more lightweight, and the others are larger and sturdier. All have interchangeable heads, so I can take whichever type of head I think will best fit the situation.Feedback
Wildlife photography, even at the zoo, is a game of patience, combined with some knowledge of the animals you are shooting. Whether in the wild, or at the zoo, animals are generally going to do whatever they want to do, regardless of what you want them to do. The more you know about them and their behavior, the more you will be able to anticipate what they are going to do in different situations, but it is still a guessing game. Patience is a must, and repeat trips are will increase your chances of capturing that special moment in time. Animals at the zoo are easier to photograph in one aspect because you know they are always going to be there, but present the additional challenge of trying to capture photos that don't look like you're in a zoo setting. Visit the animals home, whether at the zoo or in the wild, regularly to learn their habits and patterns. Don't get too relaxed because you never know when they're going to do something special and you might miss it if you're not prepared to take the shot when it presents itself.
