Photographing Animals at the Zoo

by Nicole Humphrey | More from this Blogger

23 Aug 2007 11:39 AM

Almost every family has taken their camera to the zoo a time or two. Usually in hopes of capturing that perfect shot of a wild animal, or just to commemorate a day at the zoo with the kids. However, there are a few tricks to snapping shots of our furry and not-so furry friends in captivity.

I have never forgotten my camera when I have gone to the zoo, however I have forgotten to photograph my family while there. The reason for this, is that I seem to be obsessed with animal photography. I seem to always be on the stake out for a perfect photograph. Sometimes I get good pictures, but as of yet, I have not gotten the perfect photograph. However, this is what I have gotten.

Get Close Up

Try to zoom your camera in and get close up on the animals at the zoo. It gives you a perspective you might not have had otherwise. Animals are beautiful and unique creatures and you can capture that on film, by just getting close up. Here are my favorite close-up shots that I have taken:

Watch For Blur

Be sure if you have an obstacle in the way, such as brush, a tree or bush or even the animals enclosure, that your camera is focused on the animal. You don't want the animal to be blurred and the camera to focus on the obstacles, you want it to be the other way around.

There was no easy way to get this photograph because there was a chain link fence in between us and him. Actually there were two. I placed the camera lens through one of them and then made sure the focus was on the beautiful creature beyond the other one.

More on this article coming tomorrow. Please feel free to share your images in the gallery here on families.com.

Learn more about Nicole Humphrey

Nicole Humphrey is a freelance writer, consultant for CTMH and a Sr. Blogger for families.com. She resides in St. Charles, Missouri with Mike and their five children and two furbabies.

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