ZOO photography
What could be easier than taking pictures of wildlife in a kind of controlled situation? I say a kind of controlled situation because the subject, the light, the background the props, even the surroundings are not under the control of the photographer. The subject is generally in a controlled space but that is all - the photographer controls nothing other than his camera.
Creating a good photograph under these conditions may sound easier than it really is. To illustrate, look at Fig 1.
This image of the Crested Crane reveals a common problem - the background is distracting. One solution is go closer with a long focus lens and a wide aperture to send the background out of focus.
Interestingly, the Crane was inside a large area protected from all sides by wire mesh. Yet, we see the mesh behind the bird but not in front of it. Why not?
Because the camera lens was placed against the wire mesh making it go out of focus. So, if possible, in situations like this go as close as possible against the thin wire mesh and often it will be invisible.
The light from behind is perfect, that was by accident rather than design - it highlights another potential problem. From which direction is the light coming from? Does the light cause unwanted shadows? is it sufficient to illuminate the subject?
In the case above, the harsh light of the mid-day sun created high contrast.
To bring down the contrast and open the shadows I used a weak fill flash from the camera position, two stops lower than ambient light. A one to one ration is too strong burning the highlights. Fill flash should open the shadows especially around the eyes, for a natural look it should not be evident.
Fill the Frame
Do your pictures lack impact because the main subject is too small? If so, why is this? It is all too easy to concentrate on the main subject and not notice that the edges of the frame are empty. Before you press the shutter release, quickly scan the four corners of the frame. If you are in any doubt, move in closer.
Move Closer
If you enjoy close-up photography, there is a lens feature that might stop you from filling the frame – the minimum focusing distance. If you move the camera closer than this distance your pictures will be out-of-focus. The simplest and possibly the cheapest method to solve this problem is to add a close-up lens.
Generally speaking, the best results when photographing in a Zoo is to use a medium to long focus lens to fill the frame with the subject. Close up subjects reveal interesting detail while at the same time excludes distracting background.
In the UK, falconry has become quite popular. These centres are not zoos, the birds of prey fly freely, occasionally one or two does not return to the centre making their living terrorizing pigeons and bird fowl. However, that is rare. The birds are well trained and do return to their trainer or specific spot where they'll find easy food. (See photos of birds of prey)
These places provide excellent opportunities to get great pictures under normal flying conditions. There are no fences, no cages - they are free to go. With good advance preparation, the photographer can select the best locations to give him the chance to obtain great shots of unusual birds. What a great opportunity to check and improve your skills.
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