Trip to the Zoo (tips)

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Axemaniac88

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David
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Hi guys, I'm planning on taking a visit to Belfast Zoo tomorrow, and of course I plan to take many shots! I just wanted to see if anyone had any tips (no matter how insignificant they may seem!) that may help me to get some better and more creative shots of the animals on show. Bit of info that may help:

weather is to be mostly cloudy with sunny spells
I'll be using a Nikon D3100 with either 18-55mm or 50-200mm lens (I'm guessing the 55-200mm would be the best for this).

Any help is appreciated!
 
Some help can be found HERE
 
Use the 55-200, set the largest aperture possible (f5.6 at 200mm) and aim between the bars/mesh. The bars should not show in the shot as they will be so OOF. I've gotten some great shots like this with the same lens in a D5000.
Good luck :)
 
Get as close to the bars/cage as possible. And if you're shooting through class, try make a light tight seal around the front of your lens with your hand if you don't have a hood.
 
Don't bother with the 18-55 unless you want some landscape shots of the zoo with tiny dots of animals in them.
 
Axemaniac88 said:
Sorry mate, link doesn't seem to work
Click to expand...

Sorry David, I messed up :nuts:
There are a few threads in the Tutorials and Reviews section though :thumbs:
 
Don't let a lion walk past your car (ok this was at West Mids Safari Park:lol:) and spray its wee through the open window - it's a b****r to get off your camera lens:thumbs:
 
Thanks for all the tips guys, worked out well when shooting through mesh and glass! Will add some links to the shots I took soon
 
Thanks for all the tips guys, worked out well when shooting through mesh and glass! Will add some links to the shots I took soon
 
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You might want to post your photos in the zoo section for critique fella :thumbs:

A few of them are quite soft, so pick the best 4 in your opinion and start a new thread :)
 
steelneil said:
Being new to this and looking to get a new lens for close up wildlife shots, how close were you to these animals?
Click to expand...

If you click on the link to their Flickr page then go on their photo stream. In the column on the right click on the shutter speed, aperture and ISO values, this will take you to another set of data. Follow the list down until you see Approximate Focus Distance, the value is in metres. Hope this helps you work out the rough distance and focal length used.
 
Axemaniac88 said:
Hi guys, I'm planning on taking a visit to Belfast Zoo tomorrow, and of course I plan to take many shots! I just wanted to see if anyone had any tips (no matter how insignificant they may seem!) that may help me to get some better and more creative shots of the animals on show. Bit of info that may help:

weather is to be mostly cloudy with sunny spells
I'll be using a Nikon D3100 with either 18-55mm or 50-200mm lens (I'm guessing the 55-200mm would be the best for this).

Any help is appreciated!
Click to expand...

:D I was at Belfast Zoo on the same day.

My thread. http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=478663
 
rob-nikon said:
If you click on the link to their Flickr page then go on their photo stream. In the column on the right click on the shutter speed, aperture and ISO values, this will take you to another set of data. Follow the list down until you see Approximate Focus Distance, the value is in metres. Hope this helps you work out the rough distance and focal length used.
Click to expand...

Thanks. It helps on some of the photos but other have a huge number (apparently a bug when using Adobe products). It gives me an idea though when I'm looking for a new lens for getting those long distance close ups.
 
Axemaniac88 said:
Hi guys, I'm planning on taking a visit to Belfast Zoo tomorrow, and of course I plan to take many shots! I just wanted to see if anyone had any tips (no matter how insignificant they may seem!) that may help me to get some better and more creative shots of the animals on show. Bit of info that may help:

weather is to be mostly cloudy with sunny spells
I'll be using a Nikon D3100 with either 18-55mm or 50-200mm lens (I'm guessing the 55-200mm would be the best for this).

Any help is appreciated!
Click to expand...

One thing that I do is too plan what I see depending on the time of day (available light). For instance, at my zoo the monkeys are in a dark part of the park so I go shot them during the middle of the day when the sun is messing things up. As the sun sets I will go to the more open areas and take advantage of the good light. Seem simple but it has made a big difference in my zoo shots.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47096888@N06/8634907777/in/photostream/
 
speak to the keepers,they can tell you the best times to visit certain animals.many animals are more activate at certain times of the day,near feeding time, late afternoon etc.other animals that are dark or light colours (monkeys,chimps,gorillas) are best to photograph in the shade or during cloudy periods.
 
Thanks for the comments guys!

I used a 55-200mm af lens for the majority of the shots, mostly at the full focal length of 200mm (although from this experience, I reckon a length of 300mm would be more suitable). Great shots Tommy, I probably walked right past you at some point during the day - saw plenty of photographers! What gear did you use on the day?
 
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