giraffes
Jan, 2018Views
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Contest Finalist in Shades Of Brown Project
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Behind The Lens
Location
The shot was taken at the Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart, Germany.Time
I was already about 2 hours at the zoo, when I walked by the area with the giraffes at about 11:00 am. In most cases, they just stood around, eating. But when I saw them interacting, I stopped and watched.Lighting
The day was slightly overcast, so the light was even about noon not too harsh (as it can be in August)Equipment
I used a Nikon D200 with a 70-200/2.8 (@180mm, f/3.5 with 1/160s), handheld without flash.Inspiration
I often visisted the zoo (I lived nearby, so I got myself a yearly ticket). In most cases, the giraffes weren't very active, so I often just walked by to other areas of the zoo. But on this day, they were active and their tender movements where beautiful to watch.Editing
The shot is practically out of cam, just a straight Raw to jpg conversion (which rarely happens, most of my shots are at least a bit post processed, but on this occasion, I didn't see the need to change anything.In my camera bag
Due to the weight difference, I later switched from Nikon to Olympus (as the m43 lenses are much smaller and lighter). Nowadays, I use an Olympus E-M1 MkII with the lenses which will fit to the occasion. For zoo visits, I mostly use an adapted 4/3 lens: the 50-200/2.8-3.5 (sometimes with an 1.4 converter).Feedback
When you visit the zoo, take your time and watch the animals. Sometimes you have to wait some time to understand their behaviour patterns, so you can better predict where to go when on the next visit.
