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Warm evening light on the lion at the @DenverZoo.

Warm evening light on the lion at the @DenverZoo. This light if soft, low and warm on the lion's face. You can see how the light creates a shadow behind his head and on the left side of the image. But the transition from the bright side to the shadow side is soft. A hard light would make a distinct line from the light to the dark side. ⁣
Going to the zoo at different times of day and different lighting conditions allows us to take a variety of images of the same animals.⁣
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Flat light caused by complete overcast skies creat

Flat light caused by complete overcast skies create flat looking photos. This male lion at the @DenverZoo is posing wonderfully and the flat even lighting doesn't create any shadows or highlights on him. It does allow us to capture the detail of his fur and mane, but doesn't have that dramatic effect that a stronger light brings to the image. In the next few posts I'll show other lighting conditions.⁣
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#zoo #denverzoo #denver #zoophototips #zoophotography #photography #photographytips #zoophoto #olympus #olympusomd #omdem1markiii #africanlion #lion #malelion #flatlight

Direct eye contact is a powerful portrait with any

Direct eye contact is a powerful portrait with any subject, but this Bald Eagle at the @mnzoo is just striking in his stare. Be patient and stay ready to capture the shot you are wanting. ⁣
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Happy 4th of July everyone. Bald Eagles are amazi

Happy 4th of July everyone. Bald Eagles are amazing birds and I love capturing them looking intently at....well anything. They just have this cool stare. I usually remind you to get at eye level with your subject, but to really give your subject a commanding, powerful look, move your point of view slightly below their eye level. This makes the subject appear more regal like this Bald Eagle from the @MNZoo. ⁣
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Knee pads make zoo photography more comfortable. T

Knee pads make zoo photography more comfortable. The enclosure for this little Golden Frog from Panama is located in the Tropical Discovery building at the @DenverZoo. Patience is a key to getting the photos you want and it is hard to be patient if you are uncomfortable. To get down to this frog's eye level for an extended period of time, the cheap knee pads used for gardening make the time pass pain free. Getting up is another story, but hey, by then you already have the perfect photo.⁣
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Here is a photo of yesterday's hard working buildi

Here is a photo of yesterday's hard working building contractor. I’m told it is an African Golden Weaver. (Thanks @6scared789). I’m amazed at the quality of the nest he was building. ⁣
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Walk-in bird aviaries are great ways to get unobstructed views of the birds, but is still very important to pick your background. If you aren't careful you can easily show the structure in your photos. ⁣
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The aviary in the Africa Walks exhibit at the @SanDiegoZoo has water, waterfalls and a rock wall that can be used as a background. ⁣
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Walk-in bird aviaries like this one in the Africa

Walk-in bird aviaries like this one in the Africa Walks exhibit at the @SanDiegoZoo provide wonderful opportunities to get photos of birds. There are no barriers between you and birds. You get to pick your backgrounds and some have elevated platforms where you can be at eye level with the birds. Take your time in these exhibits. It can take a few minutes before you really see the birds in their habitat. With patience I was able to follow this bird working on its nest. It was swooping in, doing a little work and then it was gone. But it was doing it over and over so I could find my spot and prepare to capture it working.

I'm not sure what type of bird this is since it didn't match any of the signs in the exhibit. I'm not sure if it was young and hadn't developed all the color yet or what. This is a great question to ask a zoo keeper or volunteer. Anyone know what type of bird this is?
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#zoo #sandiegozoo #sandiego #zoophototips #zoophotography #photography #photographytips #zoophoto #olympus #olympusomd #omdem1markii #getolympus #africarocks #aviary #nestbuilding #bird

Baby Lemur riding on mom's back at the @thehonolul

Baby Lemur riding on mom's back at the @thehonoluluzoo. This shot was a couple of years ago when I visited. It was a wonderful surprise to see the little one out that day and we lingered for a long time enjoying the little one's actions. ⁣
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After I left the zoo, I found out they were not AZA certified (at the time) and I was shocked. It was such a nice zoo with great exhibits and animals that looked healthy and well cared for. I found out that they had applied and were going through the long and detailed certification process. I read that they did receive their certification in 2020. ⁣
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Kudos to you @TheHonoluluZoo ⁣
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#zoo #honolulu #hawaii #honoluluzoo #zoophototips #zoophotography #photography #photographytips #zoophoto #olympus #olympusomd #omdem1markii #lemur #ringtailedlemur #babylemur #babyanimal #getolympus #babyzooanimal #thehonoluluzoo #hangon @zoos_aquariums

Green Tree Python at the @DenverZoo moving about a

Green Tree Python at the @DenverZoo moving about and showing off his tongue. I really like catching them right after the water has been spraying in their enclosure. Their colors seem to really pop and the water droplets add another texture to the scales.
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#zoo #denverzoo #denver #zoophototips #zoophotography #photography #photographytips #zoophoto #olympus #olympusomd #omdem1markiii #getolympus #greentreepython #python #snake

While the Takin from Southern China can get up to

While the Takin from Southern China can get up to 7 feet tall and weigh as much as 880 lbs, they all start small like this little one at the @SanDiegoZoo. You know I love showing the size comparison between the baby and the adults. I'm not a fan of this background, but the connection between the two of them is so strong, I just had to use it. Sometimes a good photo just has to break some 'rules'.⁣
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I really like photographing snakes that are on the

I really like photographing snakes that are on the other side of a very strong piece of glass. I really like it when the glass is clean. I grew up in Kansas where seeing a rattlesnake in the wild was not an uncommon thing. I don't think I ever stopped running long enough to actually take a photo. 😀 🏃🏼 But they are beautiful animals like this rattlesnake at the @SedgwickCountyZoo. ⁣
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Sharp focus and proper depth of field allow us to really take in the beauty of the textures and variety of the scales. But please do not ever tap on the glass to try and get them to move or turn. Just enjoy the moment that you share with them and take great photos.⁣
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Zoos are not the only place to get great animal ph

Zoos are not the only place to get great animal photos. Botanic Gardens like the @DenverBotanic have a really diverse population of birds and insects through the grounds. The tip is that you don't always have to use a macro lens to get great photos. In fact, a macro might scare away your subject as you are required to get really close to them. Here I used a telephoto and zoomed in on this insect from a few feet away. Experiment with different lenses and see what you can capture at locations other than a zoo.⁣
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Rocky Mountain Goat at the @DenverZoo caught in mi

Rocky Mountain Goat at the @DenverZoo caught in mid action. Stay ready for the action. Watch the animals movements and you can learn to predict (sometimes) what they are going to do next. The tip is to have the camera up and be watching through the camera. If you are watching and waiting you will not have time to raise the camera and push the shutter in time. Be prepared to capture the shot.⁣
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Connect with your subject by getting eye level wit

Connect with your subject by getting eye level with them. It's easy to get eye level with the hippo at the new exhibit, African Rivers, at the @CheyenneMountainZoo in Colorado Springs, CO. ⁣
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World Giraffe Day - The longest day of the year ce

World Giraffe Day - The longest day of the year celebrates the tallest animal on the planet. This little one at the @SanDiegoZoo isn't the tallest yet as it just reaches the shoulder of the adult behind it. By showing the size difference between the baby and the adult we can see just how small they are. But no matter their size, giraffes are just amazing and should be celebrated and protected every day.⁣
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The Cinereous Vulture at the @DenverZoo is always

The Cinereous Vulture at the @DenverZoo is always a favorite photography subject of mine. They have this way of looking so intently every time I show up. I always make it a point to stop by and see what they are up to. You will find your favorite animals as you visit the zoo often. Enjoy the moments, but work to get variety in your photos by moving around, arriving at different times, and coming in different weather conditions. Mix it up and really enjoy the variety of photos you can get of the same subject.⁣
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#zoophototips #zoo #denverzoo #denver #vulture #cinereousvulture #birdsofinstagram #zoophotography #photography #outdoors #explore #animals #animalphotos #photographytips #zoophoto #olympus #olympusomd #omdem5markiii #getolympus

Happy Father's Day! Dads Rock! Well in this case,

Happy Father's Day! Dads Rock! Well in this case, it's a dad on a rock. A bit of dad humor there. Love seeing kids with their dads at the zoo. A tip to all dads from a zoo volunteer. "Stop and read the signs before telling your kids about the animal." Those smart little ones are going to figure out you are making things up someday.⁣
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Group of Ring Tailed Lemurs at the @CheyenneMounta

Group of Ring Tailed Lemurs at the @CheyenneMountainZoo. Group photos are great when they show the interaction between the animals. Here we see the baby lemur really engaged with mom. I wanted to get all their faces visible while I was waiting for this moment. Pick your background by moving left and right and then be patient until your subjects fill your composition the way you want.⁣
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Ring Tailed Lemur just chilling at the @CheyenneMo

Ring Tailed Lemur just chilling at the @CheyenneMountainZoo. He was watching the baby lemur climb all over its mom and just relaxing here. Tip here is to always keep looking around. If I'd stayed focused solely on the baby lemur I would have missed this shot. So many wonderful subjects for our cameras. ⁣
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#zoo #zoophototips #cheyennemountainzoo @cmzoo

Love the new exhibit, African Rivers, that is home

Love the new exhibit, African Rivers, that is home to 3 hippopotamus residents. It has been open about a year here at the @CheyenneMountainZoo in Colorado Springs, CO. This exhibit provides a large water and land area for the animals and many locations with which to photograph these large hippos. Make sure you move around the exhibit to get angles from high above the exhibit and at water level.⁣
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Another flamingo photo to celebrate the upcoming F

Another flamingo photo to celebrate the upcoming Flock Party at the @DenverZoo. Once again I wanted to show how controlling the depth of field allows our subject to stand out in our photo. Sure there is a 2nd flamingo in the photo, but it is so out of focus that all our attention is on our main subject. And it rocks with all the water drops on its head. ⁣
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Remember that our eyes are always drawn to the brightest and the sharpest things in our photos.⁣
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