Zoo Photography: Midday Sun and Shadows

Most photographers will tell you it's not wise to shoot under the midday sun, some have even claimed you can't get a good picture due to the harshness of the light and the hard contrast, but I think you can get amazing images if you know what you are doing.
During my photography career, I've shot a lot of outside events and this has bred in me the habit of analyzing shadows before taking the picture. When I first started, I saw a lot of what I thought were good images ruined by ugly shadows taking attention away from the subjects. As a result, I came up with a few strategies to combat this and take those great images. I'll be focusing on zoo photography although you can use these for any outside shoot.
Positioning is important because it will affect the background, which can be brighter or darker than the subject, and how the subject is lit. If the subject is between you and the light, you might need to increase the exposure compensation, or lower it if you're between the subject and the light. What kind of image you're trying to shoot will affect your positioning. If a dark subject is between you and the light and the background is the sky, you might want to go for an overblown white/gray background.

This perched Abdim's Stork stands out against a near-blank background of an overblown sky. It's easier for this sort of portraiture effect if the subject is between you and the light (sun). Another example:

The second thing to take into consideration is the direction of light, which will affect your positioning based on the kind of image you want. Many times I've seen animals lighted on one side while the other is shadowed. In this case, figure out which side you want to shoot but make sure the other side doesn't show much to cause too much distraction.

Here I chose to shoot this black-tailed prairie dog from the lighted side, and its shadowed side doesn't distract even though its partially visible.
In this next one, I shot the shadowed side.

You don't have to stop shooting just because the sun is harsh outside, just make sure shadows aren't messing up your image. The sun can add a certain life and vibrancy to your images, especially in the spring and summer months.

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Zoo Photography: Eastern Screech Owl

All owls are fascinating creatures to me but the eastern screech owl is even more so. For starters, it's really small, which makes me wonder how it survives as a predator. While watching one of them at the zoo today, I got a chance to see these creatures' predatory nature.

As I was talking to the keeper about another one of the animals, a house sparrow flew nearby collecting duck down feathers. All of a sudden she perked up, raised her pointed ear tufts, and her attention intensely focused on the sparrow.

Here it is giving me the mean look moments before the house sparrow made its appearance.

And here it is intently sizing up the sparrow. 

Did you know: Nestling Screech-owls fight fiercely among themselves for food, and sometimes even kill and eat their smallest sibling. (from http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-owl/lifehistory)

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Zoo Photography: Bird Portraits

Since the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore let out its warm-climate birds, it's been even better shooting at the zoo. There's a reason why bird photography is one of the most beloved form of photography, and it's easy to see when you observe the zoo's collection. Unfortunately while shooting at the zoo you're unlikely to get a shot that looks like it was taken in the bird's natural environment. Many zoos have done a great job creating aviaries that replicate natural habitats and allow the birds to fly, something many birds in exhibits can't do.
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has two aviaries which give photographers a chance to get shots that look like they might have been taken in the wild. These environments, however, aren't always enough to get the shot since you still have man-made objects and people around.
The best solution, I've come to find out, is to isolate the animal as much as possible, sometimes even shooting portrait.

1. This lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) is a beautiful sight to behold. It's a shame to shoot it on land while it's not tearing through some carcass, flying through the air, or perched on some long-gnarled branch under the African sun. When shooting it, I made sure to avoid buildings, fences, or other animals that clearly show that it was taken in the zoo. In the first shot, I wanted to show its powerful legs and talons. The second shot is to emphasize its facial features.

2. I was lucky to shoot this Abdim's Stork (Ciconia abdimii) just as it was taking off in the aviary. You can see two large wires holding up nets at the top, although a wide aperture has done a great job of blurring out the background.

3. Normally docile, these Demoiselle cranes (Anthropoides virgo) have moments when they let themselves known to the rest of the world. Here I caught it as it was in the middle of its trumpeting call. They embody both beauty and grace.

4. Growing up in Rwanda, nothing excited us kids as to see crested cranes flying. They were rare and we believed killing one was equal to killing a person. I recall seeing a pair land in the field next to my first grade classroom in 1989 or 1990 and those two were the only ones I've ever seen not in captivity. My admiration of these birds led me to write a radio play titled "The Dance of the Golden Cranes" which was a finalist in a BBC radio play writing contest in 2010. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore only has West African Crested Cranes (Balearica pavonina pavonina) on exhibit.

5. This Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) is one of the zoo's Animal Ambassadors and is not on exhibit. It was attached to the handler's arm as it was trying to fly off so I had to keep her out of the frame and get that 'ready-to-sail' look. Once again a wide aperture, I mostly use f/5.6, helps eliminate background clutter and isolate the subject.

6. I caught this female Abyssinian Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus) in what looks like it could be its natural environment.

7. There's nothing special about this Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) other than it feels the frame, without cropping, and is sharp against a blurred water background in which it's swimming. It might even pass as having been taken in the wild.

8. I loved these Fulvous Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna bicolor) for more than their looks. They seem to have great personalities and are nearly always lively. I took these as they perched on the railing of the aviary walkway. If I had a faster lens I would have attempted to capture them in flight, but my lens Auto-focuses like molasses so I missed those...the portraits more than made up for it, though. The fence and people in the background were blurred and the dark blots complement the duck's dark feathers.

9. The Blue-Bellied Roller (Coracias cyanogaster) is probably one of the most beautiful birds I've ever seen. The blurred dry reeds in the background match the bird's light brown feathers and counteract its darker features.

10. The Common Raven (Corvus corax) exhibit at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is one of the hardest to shoot. The ravens don't stay still for more than a second or so, and they're either too close to the foreground or the background fences. They're really beautiful birds and the purple on their feathers makes them even more so. The Baltimore Ravens football team takes its name and colors (black and purple) from these birds. The team's official mascots, Rise and Conquer, reside at the zoo.

11. Regarded by many as the most beautiful of all ducks, if not birds, is the male North American Wood Duck (Aix sponsa). It's not hard to see why with all its beautiful coloring. The hay in the background helps give the impression that it was taken in the wild. One reason I like to shoot ducks in the water is that it helps hide the ring tags on their legs. If the birds are out of the water, I try to find a way not to show the tags.

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Good-Bye, Sophie

I believe all of life is connected and communicates through energy, both good and bad. Whenever I visit zoos to take pictures, I always ask the animals to give me good shots and make sure to thank them afterwards. I believe animals know and understand our intentions, and this transcends whichever language we might use to communicate with them. My mom is also like me in this manner as she tenderly addresses animals in Russian. I jokingly tell her these animals don't speak Russian, but I know they understand in their own way. Sophie, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore's snowy owl was one of the animals I made sure to talk to on my visits.

I actually never got to take many pictures of her, as I was still studying the best way to shoot her exhibit, but I always stopped by to say hi and ask if she could give me good shot opportunities. She flew once but I was too slow to take the picture. She gave me other opportunities for good images but I always held out hope that she would fly for me again, but today the zoo announced she had passed away over the weekend. Complications from medical care.

Good-bye, Sophie, we'll get those pictures in the life after. Til then!!!

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Zoo Photography: Flamingos

Few birds are as attractive to zoo-goers as flamingos. They're large, pretty, weird, and just so alluring. They're also fun to photograph.
While the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, my local zoo, has them, they're not available for visitor viewing. To see them I have to drive to the National Zoo in Washington, DC, which is about an hour's drive from where I live. Due to this, I haven't been able to go as many times as I would like to try different shooting techniques on them.

There are several problems that I ran into while shooting the National Zoo's flamingos. The first was that the bright, undiffused sunlight reflects harshly off the bird's feathers. It's like shooting a bright flower in bright sunlight, you lose detail in the subject.

The second issue was the dark shadow background in the flamingos' exhibit. This might actually have helped mask the unnatural environment, but it created a very contrasting image, not to mention playing tricks on the camera's sensor.

I will have to go photography them on a cloudy day to see if it makes any difference. Normally, I prefer to shoot bright animals, especially birds, on cloudy days because you are able to get details in the feathers. I would also like to see if shooting at f/8 instead of f/5.6 would make a difference in the final images.

It will take some time to figure all this out for myself as I only go to the National Zoo about once a month, compared to 3-4 trips a month I make to the Maryland Zoo, so I would love to hear from those who have mastered photographing these beautiful birds, and those who have run into other issues photographing them.

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Zoo Photography: Some Basics

You've finally saved enough money to get yourself a nice camera and maybe a telephoto lens and now you're ready to delve into the world of nature photography. It has taken you months, years if you're one of those hardest hit by harsh economic conditions, and you are ready to show the world what you are capable of now that you have the right tools. Alas, however, a ticket anywhere outside your city's limits is, well, out of limits. Even if you sacrifice two meals a day for the next six months you still won't be able to get a ticket to Yellowstone let alone Serengeti. Oh, but you've seen those images of stampeding wildebeest, giraffes's heads towering over trees, lions stalking their next meal, cheetahs speeding through the veld. You've seen them all and you know you're as capable as the next photographer to capture the next National Geographic Image of the Year.

That's when you realize your city has its own zoo. You get your equipment, get some coins from the change jar, and hitchhike your way to the zoo. You smile, grasp your equipment- we're talking camera and lens here, folks- and head for the nearest exhibit. You snap away, but something is missing. It just doesn't feel like you were on Safari. The animals are there, but even you know your images won't fool any of your friends, let alone win you a prestigious award.

You know what's to blame. Those darned fences, glass barriers, and unnatural exhibit environments. Seriously, who has ever seen The Lion King's Timon sitting under a red light? Or a chimpanzee swinging on a tire swing in the wild?

You don't have to worry, though, there are others who've been through your shoes, yours truly being among them. I'll show you simple ways to shoot different exhibits.

1. Through Wire Fences

The trick here is two-fold: Use a long focal length lens and get as close to the fence as possible. Some zoos don't allow you to go right next to fence, so make sure you don't jump over whatever barrier they erect. Those barriers are there for your safety and that of the animals, so obey the rules.

You also have to watch where the sun is as it will reflect off the fence and will be noticeable in the image.

Leopards mating.

See the milky areas around and on the leopards? That's the reflection of the fence. The opportunity was a godsend...how often do you see mating leopards? It was the perfect situation at the wrong time. The sun was setting behind me, so the fence threw the reflection at the camera. Another factor, which I would have been able to overcome if it wasn't sunny, was there was about 3 or 4 yards between the fence and where I could stand. So, if I was closer, or the sun wasn't too bright, it would have been a much better shot.

In the image below, the arctic fox was shot through the wire and the sun was not behind me throwing a ghosting effect in the images. However, the animal was close to the back fence and it still showed in the image.

Arctic Fox

2. Through the Glass

Some people say you have to put the lens, preferably with the hood, at a slanting angle to the glass, but from my experience it's best to put the lens at a 90-degree angle perpendicular to the glass. This works to minimize reflections. Look at the glass and pick an area without reflection. 

Lion through the glass. Outdoor exhibit.

Blue Iguana through the glass. Indoor exhibit. 

3. Environment

The hardest thing to accomplish is to make the animal look as if it's in its natural state. The key is positioning and isolation. Position yourself in the best place to isolate the animal. Obviously, this eliminates wide angle lenses, I have yet to shoot any zoo animal using anything less than a 100mm lens, which I use primarily for indoor exhibits. 300mm is ideal for the zoo and there are a lot of good inexpensive lenses at that length. 

Another trick is to use a large aperture. I normally shoot at F/5.6 to isolate the animals. Indoors, I increase it to F/2.8 and would go higher if my lens allowed.

Elephants with fence in the background

You can see the fence in the background and there was just no way I could get it out with the longest lens I had. The elephants exhibit at my local zoo is really not set up to allow good shots, so I only go by there to look at the elephants and not to shoot. 

Here's one of a bird with the background blurred. You can't tell there's a net above the bird. You can see two large wires that help hold up the net, but they're blurred enough not to cause a distraction. 

Abdim's Stork

Sometimes you just have to walk away from exhibits without shots, or you need a few visits before you can identify the best way to shoot that particular animal- I imagine it's that way even in the wild-so don't feel bad about not getting a great shot of every animal in the zoo. 

4. Be Alert

You never know when a great photo opportunity will throw itself in your proverbial lap. Visiting the National Zoo one day, I exited the Invertebrates house and found myself in the pollinarium.  I didn't plan to shoot butterflies and I'm a lousy macro photographer but I managed to get off a few good shots of the only model who stayed put for me.

Zebra Longwing butterfly

So, keep your eye out, shoot more than the animals most people associate with the zoo. Find animals hiding in interesting places. Shoot flowers and other plants. make it seem like you were there in the wild. 

Roseate Spoonbill

Also watch out for shadows as they will mess up your image. Cloudy days are good to avoid shadows, but the diminished light can affect how some animals look in photographs. Experiment and see which weather is best for the animals you like to shoot. For me, prairie dogs are reserved for sunny weather, while others such as the white stork are good in cloudy weather. If the dark, you want sunny...if it's white, you want cloudy. 

Go, Go, Go

Well, now you have a few basics down. The rest is up to you. Some photographers haunt the same exhibit day in and day out hoping to get the money shot...you might want to try their tactic. Study the animals, their environment, and keep practicing. Never fear being wrong or missing a shot, even the best photographers miss good shots from time to time. All you need is enough great shots to increase your confidence. Even though it won't take you to exotic wild places, it will get you on the way to being a good wildlife photographer. 

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Public Events Photography Etiquette

The Motorettes perform at a New Year's Eve function at the Baltimore Inner Harbor, Dec. 31, 2010

I've covered many festivals, parades, and other public events to have seen my fair share of selfish, inconsiderate, rude, and unfriendly photographers. As a photographer, you might have seen these jerks, too, or you might be one yourself. At these type of events, it's important to observe a few rules of etiquette to make sure all photographers at the event get a chance to get some images from good angles. Here are a few that I follow myself to make sure other photographers and revelers enjoy the event, too.

1. Be aware of your surroundings

As a photographer, it would be a sin to stand, crouch, or kneel in
front of the kids watching the puppet show here. So find other ways to get your shot.

Sounds simple enough by itself but I've seen many photographers guilty of this. At many events, paid or unpaid, I shoot primarily with the Canon 24-70 F/2.8L so I have to be close to my subject to eliminate unwanted objects or people in my shots. Besides, in photography the rule is to get as close as possible to your subject. Being close means being at the front near the stage or wherever the action is taking place. Being a big 6'4" 240lbs fella, it's easy for me to block the view of several people, half a dozen kids, and a few unhappy photographers. While shooting a Christmas boat parade, I was at the front of the crowd when I realized there were a few older women who were struggling to see the boats. Since they were shorter than I was, I let them get in front of me and I shot over their heads. I still got my shots and the lovely ladies got to enjoy the show. At other times, I will stand to the side and dart to the front to take images then move back out of the way. If you want to stay at the front of the action, either remain crouched, seated, or lying down. These type of events are organized for the people to enjoy, not the photographer to shoot.

Being this big, I sometimes fail to see shorter people around me so I tend to step on some toes or bump into people. Be ready to apologize and ask if they're fine. They'll sense whether you're genuine, so make sure you are.

2. Other photographers need to shoot too

I've met some pretty great photographers at public events and the one thing I've observed most about them is that they are considerate of other photographers' needs. At one neighborhood event the best spot to shoot from was at the right of the stage, so the photographer and I took turns shooting from there and never staying there more than enough time to get snap off a few frames at a time. Another photographer came and stood on the spot for a long time even when he wasn't taking pictures. Normally, I would just move to find another place to shoot but because of the way the stage was set up, that spot really minimized the amount of background clutter and the angle was just perfect so I asked the new photographer if he could move aside for a second while I took some shots from there. Because I'm nice and a big guy, the fellow complied. I've also seen some photographer post himself in front of a group of photographers blocking their view. Be good to other photographers

3. If possible, ask permission and say 'thank you.'

With a beautiful smile such as this, you can be sure that I asked for her
permission before the shot and said a healthy 'thank you!' after. 

Though I mainly work as an events photographer (conferences, meetings, parties, etc.) with businesses and other organizations, my joy is shooting events showcasing culture and heritage. I believe such events highlight the positives of humanity, that by observing them we get to witness what all humanity shares in common. Nothing says "I acknowledge the human in you" than asking permission to photography someone and saying 'thank you' afterwards. I know for sure they don't agree just because of my pretty face because I've seen them pose for other photographers with less than stellar looks. Also, some people have refused before. If this happens, just thank them and move on. This is not a requirement by any means, it just helps you accomplish rapport with folks and put them at ease, which will show in your images.

4. Obey event laws

Near the middle of the road shooting with a 24-70mm lens I had to be sure
beforehand that I could be here and know where I would  go to get out of the
runners' way as they got closer. 

There are places you can't go and things you can't do as a photographer at public events. Normally, such areas are cordoned off with barriers, but you will run into some events that don't bother to post signs or erect deterrents to keep people away. Knowing what you can do or can't do will keep you from running afoul of the event's staff and this is a very good thing for you as a photographer. Besides being thrown out or arrested, it can create a scene which will make event-goers uneasy around you. Remember that sometimes events will have an official photographer who probably worked hard to negotiate the deal and has a lot invested in covering the event, so do your best to keep out of his way. 

I feel obligated to repeat that public events are meant for the people to enjoy, and not for the photographers to shoot. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them, too.

These folks stopped me and asked if I could take their picture...I smilingly obliged.

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Blurry Pictures: What to do

It's been an interesting couple of days and I have been going out to take some pictures of the birds in the area since parts of the river have thawed. The pictures themselves weren't that impressive, the gulls and ducks were shy and stayed away, and I lacked the patience to wait since it was still chilly in the area. Anyways, I took a few photographs and edited them in Photoshop CS4 by adding a few effects. Some were edited in Camera Raw.

For this one (I won't list the exposure settings since I don't think it applies, but in case you're interested I was in TV (Shutter priority) at 1/400s) I increased the color temperature all the way and reduced the tint all the way to give it the blue and amber colors. I made a few other adjustments such as sharpening and contrast, but there wasn't much else I did.

This one, I shot at 1/600s and I didn't do anything to it in Camera Raw (I was simply too tired and lazy) but I converted to JPEG, sharpened it a little bit, cropped it to about 100%, and added a textures filter...I apologize, I don't remember which one it is, but you can play around and see if you can identify it. I picked this texture because of the details it brings out in the feathers.

This one was also shot at 1/600s and I edited it after I converted it to JPEG. I reduced noise, sharpened, and liquefy filter (under Filters tab in PS).

This one I really love, and I didn't even know I took it until I was trying to pick which ones to post on the blog. I took it at 1/600s and I did the same as the previous one...just sharpen, noise reduction, and used a filter (Pallette knife from the Artistic option).

The reason I edited these this way is because I used really slow lens to take them and they came out grainy and blurry. The Canon 55-250mm IS lens are really slow and the AF, though I use the AF Lock setting on the camera, really tried but failed. Many photographers will tell you that you should toss blurry pictures, but I think they can be salvaged and turned into different pieces of art. Although I'm primarily a writer, I consider myself an artist, first and foremost. As much as I paint pictures with words, it's my goal to also tell stories with my images, hence my love for photography. 

So, next time an image comes out grainy and too blurry to use, instead of tossing it aside, see what you can do to it...it might be an opportunity to create a different type of work of art. 

Happy shooting, folks, and a wonderful weekend. 

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