In this section you will find only the best advice from photographers working at the very top of their game.
Our Masterclasses feature the work of UK masters of photography.
The Pro Zone features international professional photographers that are highly successful in their fields.
26.01.09
Photographing animals in captivity
Words by Andrea Thompson
We’ve all been there – spent a day at the zoo taking pictures, only to return home with disappointing results. But surely bagging quality shots of captive animals is child’s play, right? After all, sightings are virtually guaranteed and the animals aren’t going anywhere.
Before you give yourself a hard time, bear in mind that you’re dealing with moving subjects and the light will rarely be perfect. What’s more, creating images with a real sense of wildness in the captive environment is a major challenge.
We’re not talking about attempting to pass off your photos as those taken in the wild, but rather placing your subjects within appropriately natural-looking surroundings. So if you fancy sharpening your photography skills for a grand day out at the zoo, read on!
A bit of judicious planning will get your visit off to a flying start. If the zoo has a website, peruse the map and species list beforehand and think about which animals you’d most like to photograph. Zoos house hundreds of different species and it’s tempting to wander round shooting as many as you can in a day. However, you’re likely to produce far more cracking images if you concentrate your efforts on a small handful of favourites.
Your photographic approach obviously depends on whether you’re going to a zoo specifically to take pictures or whether you’re on a day out with the family, perhaps hoping to sneak off and take a few pictures. While the latter might be more realistic, your chance of photographic success is much higher with the former. You could plan, for example, to avoid the crowds and rule out bank holidays, school holidays and weekends.
Whatever your situation, it pays to show up as early as possible when it’s quieter and there’s a good chance you’ll get enclosures all to yourself. Also, if it’s sunny the light will also be warmer and softer at this time. Don’t despair if the sun isn’t out; overcast skies can work in your favour because the clouds act as a giant diffuser, eliminating hard shadows and producing lovely soft, even lighting.
Many animals are lazy during the day, but are much more active early morning and late afternoon, and at feeding times. Keeper talks, if on offer, usually provide the best close-up opportunities and it’s worth checking with the venues for special events or features. For example, many wildlife parks offer safari drives at extra cost and take you to places not usually open to the general public.
Set your camera up for the finest quality results by choosing Raw and the slowest ISO possible, but be prepared to up the ISO if light levels drop. Leave your white-balance set to cloudy or sunny depending on the weather – you can easily fine-tune this later in Raw conversion software.
If your subject is inside a wire mesh cage, use a telephoto lens, set a wide aperture and get as close to the wire as possible to throw it out of focus. Wait for the animal to move back into the enclosure and shoot through a shaded section of wire to avoid glare.
With glass observation windows the tricky part is avoiding reflections, but the good news is that you can virtually eliminate them using a rubber lens hood. They’re inexpensive and are available for most filter thread sizes. Turn off your flash – or use an off-camera unit – and look for a clean, unscratched area of glass. Remove any grime and press the front of the lens hood firmly up against the glass to kill any reflections.
Before you press the shutter always scan the frame for any distracting artificial objects lurking in the background. Even large, outdoor enclosures that mimic animals’ natural habitats will contain at least one or two man-made obstructions, whether it be feeding stations, activity centres or manicured lawns.
Change position or vary your shooting angle to avoid clutter, or switch to a longer focal length and a wide aperture to blur the clutter. The other alternative is to shoot close-ups that eliminate the background altogether. Headshots work well here, but there’s also tons of scope for frame-filling abstract studies. Think patterns in zebra and tiger skins or peacock and macaw feathers.
If you can get close enough – and obviously with tame animals – try using an ultra-wide or fisheye lens to exaggerate the unusual perspective and create amusing caricatures.
You’ll take your shots to the next level if you convey the personality and emotions of individual animals. For more intimate portraits, shoot at eye level, wait for your subject to make direct eye contact with your lens and focus on the eyes – or nearest eye if the head is at an angle.
To capture characteristic facial expressions or behaviour, choose a shutter speed of at least 1/500sec and set your drive mode to continuous high speed shooting. Spending time observing animal behaviour will help you to anticipate when to press the shutter – use a tripod or monopod to take the strain off your arms while you wait.
In fading light try using slower shutter speeds to blur subject movement. You could even add a burst of rear-curtain flash to record a sharp ghost image of your subject over the top of the blur.
Finally, if producing wild-looking compositions proves difficult, why not shoot the animals in context? Images that tell the story of what it’s like being a captive animal can be extremely powerful. As an example, how about monkeys with their fingers clamped around wire fences? When you get home, convert your shots to mono for an even stronger documentary feel.
Whatever your approach, you’re sure to enjoy a day out at the zoo with your camera. Who knows, you may get hooked and become a regular at your local zoo.
KIT BAG
A decent telephoto lens is absolutely essential for zoo and wildlife park photography. For large/tame animals you need something like a 70-200mm or 70-300mm, but if you want to capture close-ups of small or shy birds and animals, you’ll need a zoom that goes up to a 400mm or 500mm setting.
The advantage of most DSLRs is that there is an effective focal length magnification because of their smaller sensors. For example, a 300mm lens on the Nikon D300, gives a view equivalent to a 450mm lens. On a Canon EOS 450D, the same lens becomes an effective 480mm. A 1.4x or 2x teleconverter can also boost the pulling power of shorter telephotos, though the resulting loss in light and sharpness means they’re not ideal.
If you like to travel light a single 70-300mm long zoom should suffice for the day, but do carry a tripod or monopod to reduce camera shake, even if your kit has an image stabilizer available.
It’s also worth packing a wide-angle lens to grab those in-context shots or quirky portraits; and possibly a macro lens for close-ups of insects.
Though not essential, an external flashgun with a diffuser and dedicated off-camera cord will increase your options on overly bright or dull days. It’s also ideal for illuminating dark indoor exhibits. For best results with glass enclosures, hold the flashgun at a 45° angle to the glass.
UK ZOOS AND SAFARI PARKS
There are so many safari parks, zoos, wildlife parks, animal sanctuaries, petting zoos and farms to choose from in the UK. Most of them are happy for you to photograph their animals and for you to set up your tripod but ask if you’re unsure. Unless we’ve said so, these zoos are open every day in summer.
Port Lympne
Lympne
CT21 4PD
Phone 0870 750 4647
totallywild.net/portlympne
- Photograph big and little cats, elephants, meerkats, ostrich and lots more as over 650 animals live at Port Lympne.
Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park
Stirling
FK9 4UR
blairdrummond.com
- This park offers a veritable animal alphabet to photograph, from antelope to zebra. There’s also plenty to keep the whole family happy.
Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh
EH12 6TS
Phone 0131 334 9171
edinburghzoo.org.uk
- Get your bearings with a leisurely ride around the zoo on the Hilltop Safari.
South Lakes Wild Animal Park
Dalton-in-Furness
LA15 8JR
Phone 01229 466086
wildanimalpark.co.uk
- If one visit isn’t enough, you can become a Friend of the park .
Knowsley Safari Park
Knowsley Hall, Prescot, Merseyside
L34 4AN
Phone 0151 430 9009
knowsley.com
- Knowsley boasts a bug house, great for close-up shots of creepy crawlies, and Mizzy Lake Farm, where you’ll find all manner of farmyard animals.
Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary
Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Oxfordshire
OX10 0SW
Phone 01491 833938
donkeyrescue.co.uk
- It’s free to visit, but a donation to help with the animals’ upkeep is welcome.
Manor House Wild Animal Park
Tenby
SA70 8RJ
Phone 01646 651201
manorhousewildanimalpark.co.uk
- Close encounters of the wild and domestic kind are the order of the day at Manor House.
Mole Hall Wildlife Park
Widdington
CB11 3SS
Phone 01799 540400
molehall.co.uk
- It’s feeding time at the zoo. Buy a bag of deer or duck food and get a helper to feed them while you snap away.
Marwell Zoological Park
Winchester
SO21 1JH
Phone 01962 777407
marwell.org.uk
- Get a giraffe’s eye view of things at Marwell on the giraffe walkway. There’s lemurs, penguins, gazelles, porcupines, buffalos and monkeys too.
Paignton Zoo
Paignton, Devon
TQ4 7EU
Phone 01803 697500
paigntonzoo.org.uk
- This zoo lists its feeding times and keeper talks on its website, although these times are bound to busy.
Monkey Sanctuary Trust
Looe
PL13 1MZ
Phone 01503 262532
www.monkeysanctuary.org
- This sanctuary is home to woolly monkeys, rescued ex-pet capuchins and bats. Arrive in time for the woolly monkeys’ 2pm lunch bowl and you’re in for a treat.
Belfast Zoo
Belfast
BT36 7PN
Phone 028 9077 6277
www.belfastzoo.co.uk
- A great place for exotic creatures, it’s home to many critically endangered animals, including Lily the lion, a Barbary lion born last year and one of fewer than 100 worldwide.
- Average Article Rating 4 Stars
-
Your Rating
Login Required!
Sorry - You must be a registered user & logged in to rate this.
Login | Register
Related Articles
-
27.01.09
Had your fill of autumn colour? Then follow Simon Stafford into the woods
-
26.01.09
With many species migrating south to the UK to escape harsh northern winters, now's the perfect time to shoot some waterfowl, says reader Chris Lloyd
-
12.03.09
They're not always the photographer's best friend
-
26.01.09
The UK is home to a wide variety of birds, and at this time of year they make perfect photographic models. Tempt them into your garden and set your kit up in a cosy room, advises Cheryl Surry
Back to Categories