Tiger eyes.
Female tiger at the Dallas Zoo, Dallas TX. Taken March 2015
Sony A77, Sigma 170-500
May, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken during an organized half-day photo safari, at the Dallas Zoo, Dallas, TX.Time
I think this was taken some time from 10 am to 11 am. It was a Saturday morning in March 2015.Lighting
It was a very cloudy March day which made it somewhat difficult to get a fast shutter speed at a lower ISO. For this image, I opted for lower shutter speed and lower ISO and hoped for the best. It is important to adjust for the subject. Every zoo will present different challenges with different light conditions in every exhibit.Equipment
At the time, I was using a Sony a77 with a Sigma 170-500 and the lens was extended all the way to 500mm. The tiger was far away enough that we were able to get all the way up to a chain link fence. While sitting on the ground, I steadied the camera and lens by having my left hand into the fence, providing a place to support the end of the lens.Inspiration
Two things motivated me try to capture this image: One is a love of big cats. I simply love watching these creatures. Another motivating factor was the opportunity presented by the specific location due to being on the photo safari. It was a great opportunity to try to capture one of those "special" pictures.Editing
This image was processed using Adobe LightRoom. I did some color and tone adjusting but the most significant editing step for this image was cropping. I felt that the greatest impact could be gained by creating a feeling that the tiger's face was close to the person viewing the photo.In my camera bag
I have made a few changes very recently. Currently, I am shooting with a Sony a99 with my primary lenses being a Tamron SP 70-200 f2.8, a Tamron 150-600, a Sony 24-105, and an old Minolta 50mm f1.7 which is a great lens. The tripod that now travels everywhere with me is a Vanguard VEO 265 carbon fiber. The tripod for use around the home is the ubiquitous Manfrotto 055XPROB. Attached to the Manfrotto is a Giotto MH 1301 head which allows me to keep the same mounting plates on the lenses for both tripods. My bag of choice is a Mindshift Backlight 26L.Feedback
Other than knowing your equipment very well, three things are very important whether shooting in a zoo, your back yard or where ever you are shooting. BE READY, BE READY, BE READY. A photographer usually has just a few seconds for that special moment that will probably not ever be repeated.
