Ostrich in profile
Mar, 2015Views
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richardstarling
May 09, 2015
In captivity at ZSL Whipsnade. A naturally inquisitive species, they will come close and allow their photographs to be taken.
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Behind The Lens
Location
The ostriches at Whipsnade (part of London Zoo in the UK) are always curious and approach visitors. I was trying out a new lens, the Nikon 18-300mm zoom, to make sure it would be suitable for travelling on holiday.Time
This was taken just after lunch, early afternoon, at the beginning of March.Lighting
Early Spring sunshine gave a nice low angle of light, which helped pick out details of the beak and plumage, and give depth to the eye.Equipment
Nikon D5300 DSLR, with Nikon 18-300mm VR f3.5-6.3 zoom. Focal length 300mm. Exposure 1/640 sec at f6.3, ISO 200. No flash. Autofocus, with Matrix metering.Inspiration
Mutual interest! The ostrich seemed fascinated by me and the camera lens, and I was fascinated by the angles of its head. I took a series of pictures at different angles and focal lengths. The eyes are just lovely, and I wanted to make a beautiful image of an intriguing (but not obviously gorgeous) subject. Taking a selective image of just part of the whole bird made a more interesting photo. Attempts to include the entire bird would be "ordinary". Also, with zoo photography, the wire netting of the enclosures is often intrusive. Zooming in made the image come alive, especially the expressive clear eye.Editing
Minimal sharpening required, with a little tweak of contrast.In my camera bag
Nikon D5300 and D90 cameras; 18-50mm Sigma f2.8, 55-300mm Nikon zoom, 18-300mm Nikon zoom, Sigma 105mm macro (and more recently the Tamron 160-600mm telephoto zoom. I always carry a Manfrotto monopod. I usually carry a Nikon Speedlight, but prefer not to use it with animals. Using DX-format cameras gives a crop effect, so that a 300mm lens is equivalent to 450mm on an FX-size sensor.Feedback
A good zoo like Whipsnade has a wide range of creatures on display, and they have large enclosures. Take time to study your subject, be patient, be willing to make lots of exposures, and wait for good light- or move your standpoint. Natural-looking shots are possible; watch the background for posts and wire, use a wide aperture to get smooth bokeh. Using a long zoom gets close to the subject, and minimises distractions. A monopod steadies the camera (using a tripod is often too unwieldy). It is also good etiquette to make it clear the subjects are "in captivity" rather than giving the impression of being wild in exotic locations! Most important, apart from the technical side, is to respect your subject, and get to know something about their character and habits. Patience is essential, and is often rewarded with better pictures.
