How to Take Better Pictures at the Zoo

Everyone loves going to the zoo. There is just a thrill you get when you can see that the animals are actually looking back at you, and you actually make some kind of connection with them. With many of the animals you can actually look them in the eye and it makes you wonder, just what are they thinking right now? Are they wondering why we are here, or just thinking about us as lunch! We all like to take pictures when we go to the zoo. We take tons of pictures while we are there, but when we get home, most of the pictures just don’t do the animals justice. Hopefully I am going to give you some tips here that will help you take better pictures at the zoo.

If you have a digital camera that will take pictures in “bursts”, that is one, two, three pictures one right after the other without pushing the shutter button more than once, that is a great idea to use. The animals are usually moving around and you may just catch that perfect shot that you weren’t really expecting. Remember, if you are using a digital camera, you can always delete the shots that don’t come out good.

If possible, try to catch the animal when it is in the shade, or the sun is shining on the side of the animal that is nearest to you. This will help with your light balance and will help you get good color and sharp focus. Watch for the shadows around and on the animal. Try to hold off on the shot until the animal is either all in sunlight or all in shade. Visiting the zoo on what you know is going to be an overcast, (not rainy) day is a great idea. Not only is the weather going to be cooler, but you won't have to deal with the shadow problems.

Be sure and look for the “junk” in the picture. Look through the viewfinder and really see what else is in the picture. Try to move around if you need to, to eliminate some of the background. If you have a zoom lens, you can use it to zoom in on the animal and eliminate most of the background. Using a zoom lens will also blur out most of the background, which will make your subject really stand out. See how much better the zebra picture above looks, without all the junk.

You want to capture the personality of the animals, so zoom in! Be sure that you are focusing on the eyes (not the nose), the eyes and the windows to the soul. And, yes, I believe that, at least mammals, have a soul. Take several shots, some close up of the face, then back up and get a full frame of the animal. If the habitat is natural looking, get some of their “natural” habitat in some shots also. You want to show how they live too.

When taking pictures through fences or caging, it is going to work best if the animal is about middle of the enclosure. Then get as close to the fence as possible. (Of course, stay within the safe boundaries set by the zoo.) Put the lense right up to the fence. This will let you zoom in on the subject and blur out the fence in front of you. There may be a little distortion, but it will be minimal. If there is a fence or cage behind the animal and they are not too close to it, zooming in will also blur it out. The photo below was taken through a chain link fence.

Be sure to take some type of glass cleaner wipes. Windex has small packages of window cleaner wipes. Children and going to have put their little hands and probably noses, against the glass and you need to clean the glass to get a good, clear shot. (A small bottle of hand sanitizer wouldn't be a bad idea either, just because!) When taking pictures through glass, a gradient lens will really help adjust your pictures. Either with or without the lens, you want to put your camera lightly against the glass at about a 25% angle and shoot the picture. (Remember to have wiped the glass clean first.) The photo below was taken through glass.

"Rattle their cage." You can call the animals, talk to them and make all the little noises you want to, to try to get them to either turn around or come towards you. It's not going to work. They hear that all the time and have learned to just ignore it. What they do pay attention to is either the sound of the cage being opened or the sound of keys. When I say, "rattle their cage", I don't mean to get aggressive with it, just try to make it sound like you are opening it. Jiggle your car keys. All these gates and enclosures have locks on them. They are used to hearing keys rattle when their food is coming in.

Well there are a few thing I hope will help you take better zoo pictures. and make your picture- taking trip to the zoo a little better! Remember, above all, make it fun. Oh yeah, be sure to watch the monkeys closely, because they like to throw poo! Have a great trip!

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