It is very unfortunate that most zoo operating hours are not ideal for photography. It is therefore important that you have proper skills and knowledge in outdoor photography to be able to take good pictures in the zoo. Here are some tips on how to make your zoo pictures better.
Zoo Photography Tips
It is advisable that you fill the frame to eliminate backgrounds. This is because some animals exhibits are better than the others, but even the good ones can ruin the overall quality of the composition. In most cases, the angles are always a little complicated or there is a fence to remind you that the animals are not in the wild. In these situations, the best thing to do is to crop or zoom in the image to fill the frame with the animal. You can also try different angles. This creates room for more possibilities.
You should plan the day and time of visiting the zoo. The animals tend to hide when there are crowds. You should therefore avoid crowds. Zoos are less crowded on weekdays especially during school hours. If you find going on weekends more convenient for you, then go in the morning. The animals are always fed in the morning, so they are likely to be outside waiting for food.
Avoid hot weather because animals prefer to walk around when the weather is cool. On a hot day, the animals will be lying around in the shade or resting inside their ‘dens’. Don’t be surprised when you attempt zoo photography on the hottest day of the year and don’t even see the animals. It is strongly recommended that you choose a modern zoo that has nice decorations with sceneries of vegetation, sand, or rock that match the natural habitat of the animal. Avoid fencing, obvious feeding stations, and unnatural looking rocks or resin trees.
Bring an extra battery since you are probably going to take many shots of the same animals. Since you will be interacting with children in the zoo, it is a good idea that you carry some type of glass cleaning wipes. This is to clean the glass cages after the children get their fingerprints all over it.
You must exercise patience when photographing animals. This will increase your chance of capturing the magical moment that most photographers dream of. Do not shout or wave at them to get their attention. Try to remain still and quiet, and they might just be curious and look at your camera with their sweet eyes. Take your shots when the animals are interacting, the nicest images are when you see a family of the animals together. A good photographer should be able to anticipate the behavior of the animal. This will help you capture extraordinary moments. Be alert to ensure that you do not miss a perfect moment that presents itself.
Once you’ve fully edited your amazing zoo photography images, consider decorating your home with them. Lifephoto can provide you with beautiful art prints on canvas, metallic prints, or the new metallic canvas prints.