Zoo Photos!!

I'm not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but we are spending the entire summer in Washington DC! This extended vacation has given me many new photo opportunities, which I am looking forward to sharing.



Last weekend we took a trip to the Washington DC zoo. I love zoos because taking photos of all the animals is just so much fun! Of course, the zoo has its restrictions: crowds, bars/mesh/glass, uncooperative animals, deep enclosures, etc. So really, on any given trip to the zoo you are bound to have some photogenic animals & some uncooperative ones! The day we went seemed to be a bad day for the large animals: the lions & tiger were too deep into the enclosure and the elephant was nowhere to be seen! However, I got some amazing photos of some of the smaller animals!!



My favorites were the jellyfish! They were so beautiful, and they were in a perfect back lit tank that made some gorgeous photographs. I also loved the little yellow frog I found in the top corner of his aquarium, he gave me some opportunities for lovely macro shots.





When at the zoo, you need to be creative with your photos. If animals aren't cooperating for the "perfect" profile shot, do something different. Like, with this peacock, I just photographed his tail feathers and got a gorgeous looking--though somewhat abstract--photograph.



You will find the occasional photographic animal, and you should definitely take advantage! This little guy was not the most beautiful bird, but he loved having his photo taken. He stood there posing for me while I took 15+ pictures!!

And, of course, the largest hurdle with zoo photography: the enclosures. You have to just accept, that some of the animals you won't get a good shot of. But, for those that you choose to take a photo of anyway, try to minimize the impact the enclosure has on your photo. Cupping your camera up against glass enclosures helps reduce glare. For bars & mesh, use your aperture settings to focus on the animal and leave the foreground out of focus. It won't get rid of it entirely, but it will definitely minimize its impact on your photograph!