• A shot which has been zoomed in tightly on the subject. This enclosure had a hatch for photographers – a 200mm telephoto lens with a 1.4x extender was used.
    A shot which has been zoomed in tightly on the subject. This enclosure had a hatch for photographers – a 200mm telephoto lens with a 1.4x extender was used.
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Robert Keeley explains some handy tips on how to photograph animals in zoos.

Most of us will rarely, if ever, get the chance to photograph African animals in the wild. And the few enthusiasts who do will likely soon find out why it is that professional wildlife photographers really earn their money. It’s not uncommon for these experts to spend days, weeks, or sometimes even months in cramped, primitively equipped hides which allow the shooters to get to close to wild animals without spooking them, but which require long stretches of time (and an iron will) to wait out their targets.

A more accessible option for enthusiasts to try out their photo techniques on African animals is to visit their local zoo. Every zoo in Australia offers the opportunity to photograph non-native (as well as native) species, and to varying degrees some offer even better chances for photography enthusiasts to get “up close and personal”.

I visited Mogo private zoo on the south coast of New South Wales (near Bateman’s Bay) which runs a photography course for enthusiasts. As part of the program it allows very close access to several species, and good photographic opportunities with most others. The photo course is run by the zoo’s pro photographer June Andersen and she offers a range of tips which enthusiasts can use to improve their photography of zoo animals.

Whilst photographing wildlife in its natural environment (doing something other than sleeping!) can be extremely difficult, the challenges associated with photographing the same animals in zoos also shouldn’t be underestimated. Bars, cages, and timeframes for accessibility all conspire to make zoos a tough shooting environment. Here’s a few tips for improving those images.

1. Opening Hours

It sounds obvious, but the first thing you should do is check out when you can enter your particular zoo and how long you can stay. This will vary, and some zoos will open early, or occasionally stay open late. As with most other outdoor photography subjects, animals are best photographed early in the day or late in the afternoon. This is generally when they’re most active, or they’re being fed. Some zoos keep these hours free from the public to allow their staff to get on with business, but some offer access at either end of the day to patrons. If you can avail yourself of this opportunity, and your priority is photography, grab the chance. You’ll set up the groundwork for better images.

Zoo_monkey
In some enclosures careful framing will allow you to avoid obvious fences or man-made structures. Note the catchlights in the eyes of the monkey, which work with animals as well as people to lift a portrait.

2. The Right Equipment

Most wildlife shooters are aware that a 300mm telephoto zoom lens is a really useful tool for photographing wildlife. They might not be aware though, that in a zoo a wide-angle lens can be very handy as well, especially if better access is offered to photographers. If the zoo you’re visiting does offer closer access, try shooting with your wide-angle. At a small aperture it can offer excellent depth of field and allow you to include interesting details in the background of your main subject. As well, some of your subjects may become particularly curious and actually seek out your camera lens. This can lead to some very unusual images.

zoo dingo

If you’re allowed close to animals take advantage of the opportunity and shoot with a wide-angle lens (here a 16-35mm lens was used).


On the other side of the coin, a telephoto lens between 200 and 300mm will allow you to tightly frame more distant animals, but more importantly the use of wider apertures and faster shutters speeds (ideally the inverse of your focal length as a minimum) can offer the useful by-product of blurring out backgrounds with a shallow depth of field. This is a good way of minimising the distractions of fence lines, cages or overhead wires. Consumer-level cameras often have a smaller sensor which crops the field of view, effectively creating extra telephoto reach for your camera. But if you don’t have a camera like this, remember a tele-converter can give you extra reach. They are available as 1.4x or 2x extenders.

3. Watch Your Depth of Field

It can help to shoot in Aperture Priority mode. In Aperture Priority you set the aperture while the camera sets the shutter speed to balance the exposure. And keep in mind that most animals, unlike humans, tend to have head and faces which are elongated. As with people, you should aim to keep the eyes sharp, but if you use a wide aperture like f/2.8 or f/4, you may find that while the eyes are in focus the rest of the face is not. A smaller aperture – f5.6, f/8, or f/11 – will help you get around this problem. This doesn’t negate the requir

ement to have a faster shutter speed to freeze action (many small African animals like monkeys or smaller cats are quite skittish), so you may have to increase your ISO reading to cope with these twin requirements.

zoo zebra
An aperture of f/4.5 helped throw this background out of focus. An even shallower aperture would have blurred it more, and a longer telephoto lens (200mm was used) would have also helped.

 4. Beat The Fences

Fences and cages are the bane of animal photographers working in zoos! How do you cope with them? In some animal enclosures there may be enough space for you to compose your shot without any obvious human structures or fences remaining visible. If you can use this approach, do so. And some zoos, if they work with photographers, will have small built-in hatches in enclosures which can be opened to allow lenses to poke through. Ask if these are available when you’re visiting the zoo purely on a photographic tour. Finally, if these aren’t available there is another neat trick you can use. Place your lens (or its hood) right up against the wires. Line up your subject so its head is visible through a gap in the wires, focus on the eyes, and shoot with a relatively shallow depth of field. You should get a sharp image of the subject if you focus on it correctly, yet the cage wires will blur significantly, almost disappearing, because they are outside the zone of critical sharpness. A similar technique can work with glass walls. Placing the lens or its hood right up to the glass can help to minimise reflections or glare. Alternatively, simply include the surrounding fence line, cage, or wires as part of your images. It can be a part of your story. But try to keep the eyes of your subject clear from any wires when you shoot.

Zoo_lion

A lateral approach! By pressing the telephoto lens up to the wire cage it effectively disappears, creating a ‘grey’ effect which can be cropped out or removed in software.


5. Enjoy The Experience!

Too often photographers who are learning their craft get wrapped up in the technical details of what they’re trying to achieve. If you spend too much time thinking about shutter speeds, white balance, glare, or composition, you probably won’t be spending enough time simply enjoying the amazing experience of being around these animals. So if you’re so focused on your craft that you miss your experience, make sure you go back another time, and leave your camera behind!


 zoo ostrich
A different approach which incorporated the fence into the image (while still making sure the eye was clear of the wires). A touch of fill flash ensured a catchlight appeared, whilst a wide-angle lens included some of the background.


Robert Keeley visited Mogo Zoo’s Zoom ‘Through The Lens’ Experience courtesy of the zoo’s photographer June Andersen. You can read more of her tips and see her images in the April issue of Australian Photography magazine. Contact Mogo Zoo about its photo experience on ph: (02) 4441 8118 or through www.mogozoo.com.au

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