ZooTographyZeberaClan
Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was actually taken at the zoo. I was lucky to be able to do a back lot tour of the zoo while it was under renovation so there were no people around and the animals were calm and just having fun.Time
I was on an early morning tour of the zoo, which actually started before normal opening hours. I don't normally get out of bed before 9am unless I have to but for no people and lots of animals I decided it was worth the exception. So I guess that puts this photo somewhere about 9:30am.Lighting
Although the photo was taken in soft morning light, there were lots of trees and buildings around so the lovely warmth of the light is natural but the sun glow in the upper corner is actually put in post productionEquipment
Having to carry all my camera equipment around the zoo just didn't inspire me so this shot was done with just my basic kit. The Camera is a Canon 700D with my sigma 150 - 500mm lens attached. It was taken hand held with no added lighting.Inspiration
I love animals. It is pretty much as simple as that. I was given the opportunity to go on this zoo tour at no cost to myself so for me it was a no brainier, of course I said yes. I like to capture animal behaving like animals so I watch them for a while and see how they interact with one another and then I try and capture that behavior. In this case the Zebras were simply milling around the paddock and occasionally stretching their legs and racing around the paddock.Editing
I like to keep the image as natural as possible so I try to limit my post processing. On this one I played with the contrast a bit to get the grass to be a little more prominent that the dirt and to bring out the colors in the shot. I also added the warm glow of the sunlight in the top right corner because the sun was hiding behind the trees.In my camera bag
I normally carry around my bag with my standard set of lenses and a couple of flashes. on this expedition however i had only my vest with me. Apart from my 700D and Sigma lens I had the canon 24-105 lens, a cleaning cloth, spare memory cards, sun cream, a hat, a bottle of water and my phone and that was pretty much it. I admire people who can carry their whole 20kg kit around with them but unfortunately I am not one of them so I have to think about what types of shots I am likely to get in any given situation and cater accordingly. That means I often fall victim to the need for the lens I didn't bring but it is better than having to spend the entire day sitting down and never getting anything.Feedback
I am a big fan of natural is best. I like to see animals behaving like animals and scenes in their natural environment in my photos so as such the best advice I can give is observe and practice. When I shoot pets, I play their favorite games and get down on the ground with them, when I shoot wild life I watch their natural behavior and try to capture it when I shoot them. With animal in particular practice is key, animals are often unpredictable and the perfect moment lasts only a fraction of a second. by just going out there and shooting more photos I find my skill at following their movements and my reaction times improve. Also take lots of pictures because you never know when that perfect moment will come.
