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Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at the Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA.Time
Late morning/early afternoon. It was right before feeding time, so all of the penguins were out waiting.Lighting
The penguins are in an outside exhibit, but I was viewing it from inside the building. So the light was really bright where they were, but much more dim where I was standing. I wanted to make sure I exposed for the penguin, not where I was or the lighting behind him.Equipment
This was shot on a D5 Mark III, with a 24 - 105 zoom lens.Inspiration
My mom had received a camera for Christmas and was eager to go practice with it. Since, I'm the pro in the family she was hoping I would tag along and give her some pointers. I love animals, especially penguins and this was my 18-month-old son's first trip to see them so she didn't have to twist my arm much. I was showing my mom some tricks on how to shoot through glass/plastic and avoid a glare. This was the perfect spot for my son to get his first glimpse of a penguin and for me to teach my mom some tricks I had learned along the way.Editing
I white-balanced this photo and then added some clarity and reduce the glare in Lightroom.In my camera bag
I always have my D5 Mark III and my D7 Mark II in my bag, along with my 85 1.2 Prime, 25 - 105 1.4 zoom, and my 100 - 400 2.8 zoom. I also carry my speed lite, for just in case and lolly pops because you never know when you might need to bribe a little one into cooperating for a photo.Feedback
Shoot manual mode for sure, and have your settings exactly the way you want them before the animal swims past. Typically I back button focus right in my desired shot location and then lie in wait until another one crosses through my viewfinder. I also always try to shoot at an angle when I photographing behind glass/plastic. This will reduce the glare and minimize the risk of focusing on a reflection rather than the intended subject.
