Fun At The Zoo
What can be more fun than a day at the zoo with your grandkids. This article suggests some tips and techniques so by the end of the day, you have some memorable photos of your family day at the zoo. As in any type of animal or child photography, patience, persistence and creativity are the secrets.
The first consideration is composition. Here, the best advice is to vary your composition. Take some shots with the animal looking straight at your grandkids and some with the animal looking left or right. To achieve this you may have to reposition yourself several times. This is the part requiring the patience and persistence.
Another part of composition is subject placement. Use the rule of thirds where you mentally breakdown the scene in the viewfinder into thirds both vertically and horizontally thus forming an invisible grid in your mind; like a tic-tac-toe board. The rule is to place your subject (your grandkid(s) on one of the intersecting points in the grid.
If your grandkids are looking at an animal, make sure they are looking into the scene and not out of it. For example, if your grandkid is looking right, place him/her on the lower left intersecting line and not the lower right intersection.
The second consideration is time of day. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to shoot. From sunrise to about 2 ½ hours after and again about 2 ½ hours before sunset to sunset, produces photos illuminated with a soft, golden, highly directional light. The light during these times of day brings out the color in everything. Make sure you are on the lighted side and not the shadow side.
Illumination of a subject occurs from one of three possible directions: the front, back, or the side. For photos of your grandkids and animals, side lighting will work the best because it creates a 3D effect by forming small shadowy areas and thereby accenting the texture of fur – on the animals (not your grandkids!).
Texture defines the surface of an object. People relate to how a certain object feels when they see the texture of that object in a photograph.
Besides the lighting, there are two other reasons for shooting early or late in the day. First, it is the least crowded during this time. Second, the animals are most active early and late in the day because in the wild, they normally hunt and eat during these times. During the middle of the day, they are more lethargic and not as photogenic.
If you are shooting through a glass barrier, such as an aquarium, try to find a piece of clean glass. Stand back and to the side of your grandkid while he/she looks into the aquarium. Use an ISO of 400 to 800 and an f-top around 5.6 or f8. This should give you a shutter speed fast enough so you can shoot without using a flash. Use a tripod or monopod to ensure non-blurry shots.
Capturing photos of your grandkids looking in awe at the various animals makes for an exciting day. Where else, in one location, can you get photos of your grandkids looking at a collection of animals from around the world; it is like taking your grandkids on a safari around the world!
Take your time, plan your shots and enjoy photographing your grandkids at the zoo. These will be some of your most cherished memories.
Professional Photographer
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