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Male Asian Elephants, Bohdi and Billy, playing tog

Male Asian Elephants, Bohdi and Billy, playing together at the Denver Zoo. The size difference between these two doesn’t stop them from pushing each other around. I like how Bohdi, the larger elephant, got on his knees to be the right height to push with Billy. I’m not sure Billy knows he is smaller. 🙂 Animals interacting always makes for great photos. Look for moments when you can still see their faces.⁣
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Zoos are wonderful places for our photo safaris. M

Zoos are wonderful places for our photo safaris. Make sure you check out the demonstration times of animals to get wonderful portraits. This blue and gold macaw was being introduced to us by the @DenverZoo staff in front of a nice big blue wall. His clutched walnut gives the portrait more character than just a simple head shot. Many demos and shows allow us to get closer to the animals and allow photographs without having to worry about enclosure barriers. ⁣
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The argus monitor has beautiful texture in the sha

The argus monitor has beautiful texture in the sharp light of this enclosure at @DenverZoo. Sharp focus is essential to bring out the texture in the photo. Compare this photo’s focus area with yesterday’s photo. Notice how the leg in this photo is out of focus because it is further from the camera than the head and eye which are in sharp focus. Yesterday’s photo had the head and foot at the same distance from the camera so they were both in focus.⁣
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#zoo #zoophototips #zoophotography #photography #wildlifephotography #wildlife #nature #naturephotography #explore #animals #animalphotos #photographytips #zoophoto #getolympus#olympus #olympusomd #monitor #argusmonitor #denverzoo @DenverZoo

This argus monitor at the Denver Zoo is amazingly

This argus monitor at the Denver Zoo is amazingly agile as he moves about his enclosure. Wait for him to move into the good light of his enclosure to get the shot. Indoor exhibits with low light require us to use wide apertures to get enough light and because the animals are close, the depth of field is very shallow. This photo of the argus monitor has a depth of field of about an inch that is in focus. I moved left and right until the monitor’s face and foot were at the same distance from the camera. This way they would both be in focus. See how quickly the focus becomes soft on his leg and neck and his back is completely out of focus.⁣
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#zoo #zoophototips #zoophotography #photography #wildlifephotography #wildlife #nature #naturephotography #explore #animals #animalphotos #photographytips #zoophoto #olympus #olympusomd #monitor #argusmonitor #denverzoo @DenverZoo

The mandrill is colorful and large. I like how th

The mandrill is colorful and large. I like how they move about with a purpose and always seem curious. This one at the @denverzoo was in a different enclosure yesterday than where I usually see it. He seemed to be exploring everything. Capturing this moment required patience and alertness to his movements and keeping the camera focused and ready for the shot. Slow down while at the zoo and spend some time with each animal you are interested in photographing. It’s amazing how often an animal that appears to be sleeping will jump up and interact with others. Most of the time they wait until I have put my camera away. Don’t be that photographer. 🙂⁣
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Focused eyes of the cinereous vulture at the @Denv

Focused eyes of the cinereous vulture at the @DenverZoo. In the wild they use their great eyesight to find food while soaring high above. Here it looks so alert and focused. I like how the light coming from the left side of the photo is showing off the scratches in his beak. Side lighting provides a nice contrast when getting portraits as it adds more depth to the facial features with one side being brighter and the other side in the shade. Move around the exhibit and/or come at different times of the day to find the best light for your subjects.⁣
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#zoophototips #zoo #denverzoo #denver #vulture #cinereousvulture #birdsofinstagram #zoophotography #photography #outdoors #explore #animals #animalphotos #photographytips #zoophoto #olympus #olympusomd #omdem5markii #getolympus #eye_spy_birds #allmightybirds

Eye-to-eye with the Snow Leopard. This photo is a

Eye-to-eye with the Snow Leopard. This photo is a tribute to @ricksammonphotography. Rick shares his photos and stories while pointing out how he gets his wonderful photos. One point that he stresses is getting eye-to-eye with your subject to create a connection with the subject. You can see here how powerful that advice is. I got low and waited for the eye contact for this photo. Follow Rick on IG and check him out in person if he comes to a location near you. Also, check out his book “Exploring Photographic Exposure”. ⁣
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#zoo #denver #snowleopard #leopard #ricksammon #zoophototips #zoophotography #photography #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #outdoors #explore #animals #animalphotos #photographytips #zoophoto #olympus #olympusomd @getolympus

Direct eye contact with baby mandrill at the Denve

Direct eye contact with baby mandrill at the Denver Zoo. It is so sweet in mom’s arms. Patience is important to be able to wait until direct eye contact is possible. Make sure you are comfortable to remain patient and alert for these shots. Wear comfortable clothes and maybe even bring a knee pad to be able to get at eye level for extended periods of time. ⁣
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Male Lion at the Denver Zoo. With so much focus o

Male Lion at the Denver Zoo. With so much focus on the new lion cub, I thought I’d grab a portrait of daddy. Such a beautiful animal. Enjoy the entire family when visiting the zoo when there are young ones. ⁣
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Capturing animals in the snow is great if they are

Capturing animals in the snow is great if they are active and enjoy the snow. Many animals like many people would rather just stay inside where it is warm. Keepers have pretty strict guidelines by species when they can let the animals outside when the temperatures drops. These Amur Tigers loved the snow and were very playful. The bright white of snow can fool our sensors, help it out by adding some exposure compensation so your whites will stay white. By default your camera will try to expose your snow to be a light grey color.⁣
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Meller’s Chameleon at the @DenverZoo is a one of

Meller’s Chameleon at the @DenverZoo is a one of my favorite photography subjects at the zoo. It has great color and even more amazing texture. The lighting in the enclosure at the Tropical Discovery exhibit helps bring out the texture in our photos. Combine that with a rotating eye and the possibilities are endless. Living in Denver, we can have snow anytime. The forecast is for more snow this week. These indoor exhibits are great to visit in a snow shower.⁣⁣
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Giraffes have wonderful texture in their short fur

Giraffes have wonderful texture in their short fur and when converted to a high contrast black and white it really pops. Usually I like photographing animals when the light is lower in the sky, but you can see how bright, high and contrasty this light is especially in her ear. It made it perfect for processing this black and white.⁣
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Super majestic male lion at the Sedgwick County Zo

Super majestic male lion at the Sedgwick County Zoo. Getting eye level with your subject creates a strong connection, but being slightly below the eye level of this lion really shows off how majestic and regal he is. Experiment with the relative height of your camera with your subject to create an emotional bond between your subject and viewers of your photos.⁣
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Green Tree Python has beautiful eyes and wonderful

Green Tree Python has beautiful eyes and wonderful texture of its scales. These low light exhibits force the photographer to use a multitude of techniques to get sharp photos. A couple of tips are to make sure the glass is clean, the camera is held against the glass to minimize glare and to provide an additional point of stability. You also have to find a balance of ISO setting and your camera’s ability to capture clean images. When you find a great subject like this, try a variety of ISO settings and aperture to learn where your camera best captures your image.⁣
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Mom mandrill keeps the little one close to her so

Mom mandrill keeps the little one close to her so it is easy to get photos of the two of them together. Their interaction is wonderful for our photographs. Keep your camera ready as they move quickly and change positions frequently. As the baby grows, the mom will allow it more freedom and it will be allowed to move farther from her.⁣
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Cool weather is coming. Make sure you bundle up w

Cool weather is coming. Make sure you bundle up when heading to the zoo. It’s really hard to stay patient and get your best photo if you are uncomfortable. Keep those feet, hands and head warm so you can enjoy the time outside. We always hear about dressing in layers so we can adjust for the temperature changes. This is important for gloves also. I recommend a light pair so you can operate the camera and a heavier pair to make sure the hands stay warm. Make sure the heavier pair just slide on and off over the light pair easily.⁣
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Secretary birds are known for their long legs, but

Secretary birds are known for their long legs, but they have a cool texture in their feathers and I love those eye lashes. We don’t always have our tripods with us but we need to hold the camera steady when photographing with our long telephoto lens. Here I rested the camera on the exhibit railing to get a steady shot. Today’s cameras have all types of anti-vibration and every manufacturer calls it something different. And many of these are amazing in how well they do at helping keep our images steady, but nothing beats a solid tripod or steady support for the camera.⁣
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Everyday at the zoo is wonderful, but some days ev

Everyday at the zoo is wonderful, but some days everything just comes together for photography. Here is a cute koala that is awake, moving and in the sun. The trifecta of koala photography. I always make a point to visit the Outback exhibit multiple times when I’m visiting the @SanDiegoZoo. They sleep so much that only stopping by once a visit would limit my odds for fun photos of these cute marsupials. Love the claws and furry ears on these guys.⁣
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Big kitty yawns are amazing. This Amur Leopard at

Big kitty yawns are amazing. This Amur Leopard at the @SanDiegoZoo shows off his perfect teeth with a wide yawn. Be ready for these moments by keeping your camera ready. Don’t scroll through your photos on the back of your camera or you can miss actions like this. Quickly check your exposure, tweak the settings if needed and then get ready for the next moment. If you are reviewing photos you are not ready to photograph your subject when they strike a pose for you.⁣
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Had a great visit to the @SanDiegoZoo. Met some w

Had a great visit to the @SanDiegoZoo. Met some wonderful photographers and enjoyed hanging out and talking photography tips with them. Also enjoyed an overcast day that produced soft light on the animals. This Amur Leopard woke up and became very interested resulting in some great poses. It was on a lower shelf of rock that provided a nice background. Two other leopards were on the highest rock and their background consisted of the back of the exhibit. I’m glad this is the one that woke up and posed for us today. Backgrounds are so important to our photographs, so make sure you pay attention to the background.⁣
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