7Z8A1483
A Gorilla With his mouth wide open
A Gorilla With his mouth wide open
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Apr, 2018Views
31
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Awards
Summer 2020
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken at the Denver Colorado Zoo. A fantastic place to visit with plenty of amazing animals to see!Time
This was taken at high noon on April 18, 2018. My husband and I had decided to skip out on work for the day and go to the zoo together. I had just purchased a new telephoto lens and was itching to try it out. This particular photo was difficult because it was shot from the other side of a glass window. The bright day and sunny day made for a lot of reflection. Before post-processing, my blue striped shirt was highly visible in the image!Lighting
In these split second shots, there isn't much chance to really account for lighting. I was lucky that I happened to be in the right spot at the right time! Thankfully it was such a bright day, because the extra shutter speed really makes all the difference when it comes to moving animals!Equipment
This was shot on my Canon 5D Mark III with the coveted Canon EF 70-200 mm f/2.8 II USM IS lens. It was handheld, shot at 1/60 of a second, f/4.5 at 140 mm. In retrospect, I would've preferred a faster shutter speed, but it turned out fine. The image stabilization on this telephoto lens is amazing!Inspiration
When I first bought my new telephoto lens, the very first thing I wanted to do was go to the zoo with it. Ever since I was a little girl, going to the zoo has been somewhat of a bonding time for my family. I have pictures of zoo animals from my old school Nikon point and shoot, my cell phone, and now this nicer camera. These exotic animals are still so exciting for me to go see even now that I'm older!Editing
I absolutely had to post-process this photo. The reflection from the glass really distracted from the image, so I had to seriously tone down some of the exposure in the center of the gorilla and along the edges. Otherwise, you would be able to see my blue striped shirt! This is one of the reasons I decided to make this picture black and white. Thankfully, gorillas are naturally dark, so darkening bits of reflection in the photo simply made it look like part of the gorilla's black fur.In my camera bag
I always pack a 50 mm f/1.8, an 85 mm f/1.8, my 70-200 mm, a close-up lens, an ND filter, and my 5D Mark III. I usually keep a tripod in the car as well. If I could bring just one other thing, I would go for the 16-35 mm lens, but alas, I don't own one (yet)!Feedback
Look up! Always be aware of your surroundings because moments like this only come once! Also, enjoy the experience. It isn't always about capturing a great shot. But, if you're enjoying the experience, that will come out in your photography because you'll want to express the same kind of emotion you had while capturing it.
