# Zoo Pics



## JandJ Creative (Feb 24, 2011)

Anybody "game"?

















If anyone's curious they were all shot with a 135mm 2.0 and my "old" 1ds. The 135 really has "cage melting" power.


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## leGreve (Feb 24, 2011)

Animal photography was one of the first thing I took an interest in, before I became a formal photographer. I looked at a lot of Andy Rouse photos and the likes, and then it faded. Of latest I've mostly only seen mediocre things around... that's why I want to comment on your stuff. I really like it. It's easy to ruin a good zoo image, but you managed to pull something really nice off here.
I like you framing, composition and tone. Pleasing to look at...


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## JandJ Creative (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks! Just as it is with people, timing is everything with animals. I really enjoyed it, although they're a lot more unpredictable than (most) people!

Here's another one of some hecklers





And speaking of timing. Here's one my wife got. I love the little girl with her dad in the background who is pointing.


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## jnskyliner34 (Mar 14, 2011)

Adelaide Zoo. All shot with a Canon 1000D + EFS 55-250mm 

Meerkat





Tapir





Kangaroo





Barbary Sheep


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## seacritter (Apr 10, 2011)

*Zoo Lujan in Argentina...*

There's an interactive zoo in Argentina, just outside of Buenos Aires named zoo Lujan. You can enter the cages with the animals. These were 2 of 5, eight month old African tigers.











Capn Scott
http://capnscott.com


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## Ghostdive (Jul 20, 2011)

her also a few pics, which i made yesterday.




IMG_4842-20110719.jpg von ingothierack auf Flickr




IMG_4632-20110719.jpg von ingothierack auf Flickr




IMG_4612-20110719.jpg von ingothierack auf Flickr




IMG_4540-20110719.jpg von ingothierack auf Flickr




IMG_4534-20110719.jpg von ingothierack auf Flickr




IMG_4434-20110719.jpg von ingothierack auf Flickr


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## ions (Nov 10, 2011)

Barbary Ape(Monkey) at the Toronto Zoo by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr




Elephant at the Toronto Zoo by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr




An Arctic Fox at the Toronto Zoo by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr




An Elephant at the Toronto Zoo by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr




A Polar Bear Paw at the Toronto Zoo by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr


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## ghosh9691 (Nov 11, 2011)

Here's one from the Fort Worth Zoo...


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## ions (Nov 11, 2011)

A Jellyfish at the Toronto Zoo by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr


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## Anonanimal (Nov 14, 2011)

A hungry mountain lion at the Albuquerque zoo. Taken from behind a pretty dirty window...


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## stephen_ny (Dec 29, 2011)

Bob cat posing for the camera..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenf81/


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## Harley (Dec 30, 2011)

All just handheld shots with an FL 55mm f/1.2


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## CanonAddict (Dec 30, 2011)

I'll give this a go. A few from the San Diego Zoo.

Elephant





Macaw 





Caribbean Flamingo





Mandarin Duck





Adolescent Panda





Koala


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## wopbv4 (Dec 30, 2011)

Perth West Australia, 7D, 70-200 L II
I still feel guilty that I woke him up


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## imberandon (Dec 30, 2011)

Canon 60d 18-55 is, 70-300


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## gudun74 (Jan 1, 2012)

All taken with 550D and 70-200 f4 L IS




Lion by gudun, on Flickr




Tiger by gudun, on Flickr




Lioness by gudun, on Flickr




Angry turtle by gudun, on Flickr




Curious one by gudun, on Flickr


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## picturesbyme (Feb 6, 2012)

www.picturesbyme.com


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## kalmiya (Feb 9, 2012)

baby lynx...


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## EYEONE (Feb 9, 2012)

A few from our local zoo. Canon 7D: 70-200mm f2.8 IS II


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## girod199 (Feb 9, 2012)

L.A. Zoo 

Canon 40D + 70-200 f/2.8L


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## rebelphil (Feb 10, 2012)

LA Zoo / Rebel T1i 70-300L 4-5.6 is usm


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## gudun74 (Feb 23, 2012)

Angry frogmouth by gudun, on Flickr




IMG_5953.jpg by gudun, on Flickr




Seal by gudun, on Flickr


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## munsoned (Mar 5, 2012)

I love photographing at the zoos, it's one of my favorite things. Here are a few from my 5D mark II and my 100-400 L lens:




Prairie dog fight by Evan Animals, on Flickr




Laughing Bonobo by Evan Animals, on Flickr




Polar Bear Dental Exam by Evan Animals, on Flickr




Flying Raccoon - Detail &amp; Story &amp; 30 more photos! by Evan Animals, on Flickr

I also have a bunch of photos with my Canon 40D + 75-300 cheap lens if anyone is interested, some are better than these.


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## ions (May 30, 2012)

I've posted these elsewhere on here but they're also zoo photos of a sort. These were taken at the Muskoka Wildlife Centre in Ontario:




Akayla, a Gray/Timber Wolf from the Muskoka Wildlife Centre by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr




Dr. Hoo, a Great Horned Owl from the Muskoka Wildlife Centre by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr




Luna, a Saw-whet Owl from the Muskoka Wildlife Centre by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr




Akayla and Montana, Gray/Timber Wolves from the Muskoka Wildlife Centre by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr




Yeti, a Canada Lynx from the Muskoka Wildlife Centre by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr




Renard, a Red Fox from the Muskoka Wildlife Centre by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr


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## Narcolepsy (Jul 6, 2012)

Spider Monkey, Edinburgh Zoo
5D2 100L 2.8 Macro 1/320 f2.8 ISO3200


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## ions (Jul 9, 2012)

Peacock at the Toronto Zoo by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr


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## ions (Jul 10, 2012)

Greater Kudu Antelope at the Toronto Zoo by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr




A Jellyfish at the Toronto Zoo II by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr


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## ions (Jul 27, 2012)

Dark Underworld of Peacocks, Toronto Zoo by Christopher Brian's Photography, on Flickr


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## Northstar (Aug 23, 2012)

mine is a bit different, but i find myself spending time looking at it, and it's interesting IMO.

I was at the zoo, and took this shot of the two griz bears playing....what I caught in the reflection of the windows made the shot much more interesting.

this image is not edited other than a little bit of exposure/sharp/sat/contrast.

i'm curious what others think of this shot...comments welcome.


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## MrFotoFool (Oct 14, 2012)

Northstar said:


> mine is a bit different, but i find myself spending time looking at it, and it's interesting IMO.
> 
> I was at the zoo, and took this shot of the two griz bears playing....what I caught in the reflection of the windows made the shot much more interesting.
> 
> ...



No offense, but I find the reflection distracting. The bear action is great, but I personally would like it better if it had been taken with a polarizing filter to eliminate the reflections.


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## chops411 (Oct 14, 2012)

Nashville Tn Zoo


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## tomscott (Oct 15, 2012)

Tiger by tom_scott88, on Flickr




IMG_9407 by tom_scott88, on Flickr




Turtle 2 by tom_scott88, on Flickr




Bat by tom_scott88, on Flickr




Lizard by tom_scott88, on Flickr




Shark by tom_scott88, on Flickr




Baby Elephant by tom_scott88, on Flickr


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## anand (Oct 15, 2012)

All images are good. Love the elephant calf.


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## ions (Oct 24, 2012)

MrFotoFool said:


> Northstar said:
> 
> 
> > mine is a bit different, but i find myself spending time looking at it, and it's interesting IMO.
> ...



I disagree. No offence, but I think the point of this photo is missed with such a suggestion. The juxtaposition of the two different zoo inhabitants, guests and those that live there is neat. The wonder on the faces is great. I think it works well. Rather than a reflection it has a real double exposure feel to it. Good job Northstar.


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## HeavenHell (Oct 24, 2012)

Great shots guys. I love the koala, the jellyfish and the red fox.


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## Northstar (Oct 24, 2012)

ions said:


> MrFotoFool said:
> 
> 
> > Northstar said:
> ...



Ions...Thanks, I appreciate your kind words. You describe my thoughts well when I first saw what I had captured. Is it "technically" a great image? NO. But, I've seen pictures of two bears(animals) playing together like this countless times, but this image is uniquely different, and as I said, I find the image much much more interesting. Again, not a technically great shot....but you can't deny that you'll spend an extra second or several looking at it.


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## Sideonecincy (Oct 24, 2012)

First post here


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## JBeckwith (Oct 24, 2012)

I know this is an old topic but I really like the OP's pictures. He resisted the urge that almost everyone has at zoos to zoom all the way in as tight as possible on the animals. He did a great job of capturing the environment without making it overly obvious that it was a zoo.


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## Narcolepsy (Oct 24, 2012)

Northstar said:


> mine is a bit different, but i find myself spending time looking at it, and it's interesting IMO.
> 
> I was at the zoo, and took this shot of the two griz bears playing....what I caught in the reflection of the windows made the shot much more interesting.
> 
> ...



This is reminiscent to me of the 2003 winner of Wildlife Photographer of the year - 
Gerhard Schulz - Gorilla and Boy
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/12/1071125653861.html


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## mbj68 (Oct 24, 2012)

Kansas City Zoo















St Louis Zoo


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## Northstar (Oct 25, 2012)

mbj68 said:


> Kansas City Zoo
> 
> 
> 
> ...



mb...nice job, i especially like the first two.


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## ski2slow (Oct 25, 2012)

Asa Zoo in Hiroshima, Japan.


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## Hillsilly (Oct 25, 2012)

Is there a general consensus of the best focal lengths for zoo trips? Will be visiting Taronga Zoo in a few weeks time on holidays. Just working out what to pack. My initial thought is bigger the better. But I'm surprised to see a lot of the photos here have been taken with more moderate sized lenses.


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## ski2slow (Oct 26, 2012)

It really depends on how close the animals are to you at the zoo.
And how close you want to get to them.
I mainly use my 70-200 f2.8 with an extender.


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## verysimplejason (Oct 27, 2012)

Here are some from KL, Malaysia, Negara Zoo.


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## verysimplejason (Oct 27, 2012)

scrappydog said:


> Hillsilly said:
> 
> 
> > Is there a general consensus of the best focal lengths for zoo trips? Will be visiting Taronga Zoo in a few weeks time on holidays. Just working out what to pack. My initial thought is bigger the better. But I'm surprised to see a lot of the photos here have been taken with more moderate sized lenses.
> ...



Correct though I'd vote more for a 100-400. I've used an APS-C + 55-250mm IS lens but it is still short for some of the pictures I want to take.


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## serendipidy (Oct 27, 2012)

verysimplejason said:


> scrappydog said:
> 
> 
> > Hillsilly said:
> ...



+1...I like the 100-400 for the reach.


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## Malte_P (Nov 13, 2012)

lol.... they look as dumb as some MODs here....


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## MrFotoFool (Nov 13, 2012)

When shooting through fences, a long lens (around 300mm) and a large aperture help to blur out the fence. For years I used a 300 f/4 which in many situations is ideal, but in some cases crops out part of the animal because I could not zoom out. I recently sold it along with an old style 80-200 2.8 because this version (the black Canon one) did not take extenders. I replaced it with a used Sigma 100-300 f/4 which was great until the autofocus broke and Sigma said it is too old to fix. Having learned my lesson about Sigma, I just replaced it with a 70-200 2.8 (the cheaper non-IS) which I can use with a 1.4x extender I already have. I looked at the 100-400, but I just did not want to be limited to 5.6 maximum aperture. I wish Canon made a 100-300 or 70-300 constant f/4 like the discontinued Sigma, that would be the perfect zoo lens.

I shoot only full frame which also helps blur out the fence. For technical reasons I personally do not understand, full frame sensors have a shallower depth of field than crop sensors.


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## robbymack (Nov 13, 2012)

MrFotoFool said:


> For technical reasons I personally do not understand, full frame sensors have a shallower depth of field than crop sensors.



Maybe this will help...full frame sensors have shallower dof than crop for the same framing. It's quite simple really. Youre shooting ff and I'm shooting crop, were both using a 50mm lens yet I am 60% further away from the subject than you to provide the same framing in both cameras, hence I have more dof due to distance to subject.


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## CTJohn (Nov 13, 2012)

Miami Zoo, 7D, EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L


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## Northstar (Nov 13, 2012)

CTJohn said:


> Miami Zoo, 7D, EF 70-300 f/4-5.6L




ahhhhh


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## Schultzie (Nov 13, 2012)

These were taken at Brookfield Zoo, all with the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II




King of the jungle by SauceyJack, on Flickr




Black rhino by SauceyJack, on Flickr




Go ahead, I'm listening by SauceyJack, on Flickr


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## pedroesteban (Nov 14, 2012)

At the São Paulo Zoo with a Rebel t2i + 70-200 f/4...


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## Hillsilly (Nov 14, 2012)

Wow - They're good.


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## gmrza (Nov 23, 2012)

These are from Melbourne zoo, using the 7D with the 70-200 f/4L IS USM:





Who is the monkey?






Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça?






Tora! Tora! Tora!






This is all a bit of a yawn!






Butterfly love


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## verysimplejason (Nov 23, 2012)

Nice pics! Somehow, I'd like to see all these creatures in the wild. I'd like taking pictures of animals inside the zoo but something in me becomes sad when I see them caged. Hopefully I'll be able to save money to go to a real safari someday.


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## 3kramd5 (Nov 29, 2012)




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## pedroesteban (Nov 29, 2012)

3kramd5 said:


>



Great pics, Jason!
Love the cage reflected on the bird's eye!


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## 3kramd5 (Nov 29, 2012)

pedroesteban said:


> Love the cage reflected on the bird's eye!



Thanks. That bird (secretary bird) has a nictitating membrane ("third eye") like a shark. I happened to catch it mid blink, which is why it's white.


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## bp (Nov 29, 2012)

verysimplejason said:


> Nice pics! Somehow, I'd like to see all these creatures in the wild. I'd like taking pictures of animals inside the zoo but something in me becomes sad when I see them caged. Hopefully I'll be able to save money to go to a real safari someday.



I'm with you. Something irks me about "zoo shots". Especially when people refer to them as "wildlife photography". Seriously? That's like waiting in line at a book signing, then telling people that you know the author. Like buying a lapdance then saying you hit second base with a model. I suppose it's an OK way to practice, but that "wildlife" has been put on display, you didn't track it, you didn't "earn it". It's just a gear test.

Early in my photography I used to take zooms with me to the zoo. Now, anytime I go with the family to the zoo, I leave all my telephoto at home, and bring a wide prime, because shots of my kids _looking at the animals _ is all I'll be interested in looking at later.


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## Jay Khaos (Nov 29, 2012)

gudun74 said:


> IMG_5953.jpg by gudun, on Flickr



LOL this one is epic. This could totally become a high-def version of "O RLY" owl meme


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## 3kramd5 (Nov 29, 2012)

bp said:


> I'm with you. Something irks me about "zoo shots". Especially when people refer to them as "wildlife photography". Seriously? That's like waiting in line at a book signing, then telling people that you know the author. Like buying a lapdance then saying you hit second base with a model. I suppose it's an OK way to practice, but that "wildlife" has been put on display, you didn't track it, you didn't "earn it". It's just a gear test.



Earn?

Going to the zoo is probably the only way many people will ever be able to afford to photograph oh... an African elephant. Ponying up 5 figures to fly to Africa doesn't make a picture of one more legitimate. It's just a wallet test.

Often times wildlife photography is luck. Right place, right time. By happenstance, I was able to take this photo of a mother grizzly rear up to check out a loud sound. My plans that day were go from lake yellowstone to lamar valley. The road through dunraven peak was closed due to ice, so I had to go counterclockwise around the park rather than take the direct route north. Had the road been open, I'd never have seen this. I didn't earn the opportunity.


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## bp (Nov 29, 2012)

3kramd5 said:


> Earn?
> 
> Going to the zoo is probably the only way many people will ever be able to afford to photograph oh... an African elephant. Ponying up 5 figures to fly to Africa doesn't make a picture of one more legitimate. It's just a wallet test.
> 
> Often times wildlife photography is luck. Right place, right time. By happenstance, I was able to take this photo of a mother grizzly rear up to check out a loud sound. My plans that day were go from lake yellowstone to lamar valley. The road through dunraven peak was closed due to ice, so I had to go counterclockwise around the park rather than take the direct route north. Had the road been open, I'd never have seen this. I didn't earn the opportunity.



You seem to be ignoring my distinction between "zoo pics" and zoo pics that are being referred to as "wildlife photography". I have no issue with people taking pics at the zoo. Shoot away. It's great practice

In fact, I don't disagree with anything you just said, aside from "Ponying up 5 figures to fly to Africa doesn't make a picture of one more legitimate." Sorry, but if the photographer is referring to their pic of an elephant as "wildlife photography", as I stated in my post, yes, it does. 

Also I don't agree at all, that you "didn't earn" that bear shot. GREAT shot, by the way. Sure you earned it. And that IS "wildlife" photography. I simply think people should be honest with others (and themselves), and acknowledge that what they're doing is very different from what you did, or what true wildlife photographers do.


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## serendipidy (Nov 29, 2012)

valid points


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## 3kramd5 (Nov 29, 2012)

bp said:


> You seem to be ignoring my distinction between "zoo pics" and zoo pics that are being referred to as "wildlife photography". I have no issue with people taking pics at the zoo. Shoot away.



It wasn't intentionally ignored, I read the part about their label as an additional concern.



> "Something irks me about "zoo shots". Especially when people refer to them as "wildlife photography"



But no worries. 

And I tend to agree with you. When sharing zoo photos, if I use the word wildlife I'll generally put it in quotation marks (they aren't wild).


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## verysimplejason (Nov 30, 2012)

Nice picture on the bear. I agree, wildlife photography is also luck-based and definitely you have to earn it with sweat and money but it's truly rewarding.


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## Northstar (Dec 1, 2012)

> Now, anytime I go with the family to the zoo, I leave all my telephoto at home, and bring a wide prime, because shots of my kids _looking at the animals _ is all I'll be interested in looking at later.


[/quote]

I read your comment and I agree that zoo photography can definitely get more interesting if you combined it with street photography and an emphasis on candid portrait photography. The more interesting pictures that will come from a zoo will not be a close up of a tiger or bear, that's been done a billion times, but rather the shots of people's reactions, expressions, and interactions with the animals. IMO.

Candid portraits are great at a zoo because people aren't paying attention to the photographer, one of the few environments where you can shoot candid portraits with ease.


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## MrFotoFool (Dec 19, 2012)

Most species of animals are virtually impossible to photograph in the wild. Sure you can go on Safari (if you can afford it, which I cannot) and get shots of lions and elephants. But I challenge anyone here to go into the wild and do "true wildlife photography" of a mang mountain viper in China or a margay in South America or even a wolverine in North America.


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## MrFotoFool (Dec 19, 2012)

...or a black jaguar. Here is Simone, one of two black jaguar sisters at my local Reid Park Zoo.

Canon 5D2, 24-105 f4 L, dark contrasts filter in Nik Color Efex 4.


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## Renegade Runner (Dec 19, 2012)

Cougar

Rebel
f/6.3
1/320
iso 1600


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