How to take wonderful photos of animals in the zoo?

Zoo photography is the threshold to enter wildlife photography. However, how to take pictures of animals in cages to give them a sense of nature? Learn how to take excellent zoo photos according to the following suggestions.

What is zoo photography? Zoo photography refers to taking pictures of animals in the zoo. But for photographers who want to engage in wildlife photography, zoo photography is a good start. Whether you are interested in wildlife photography or pet photography, zoo photography is a good practice for you.

The zoo gives you a chance to learn about the way animals move and behave, and choose a beautiful composition.

What equipment do you need for zoo photography? Taking pictures in the zoo, in order to overcome the distance problem, you need a lens that allows you to shoot animals at close range.

A long-focus fixed-focus lens or a camera with a long-focus lens will be perfect, but a suitable zoom lens can also be used. You can also consider carrying a macro lens with you just in case. This can also come in handy if you want to photograph insects or other small animals.

You can also consider carrying a monopod or tripod, because you may shoot moving animals, so a tripod can provide you with the extra stability you need.

Polarization filter can also be a useful tool for shooting in the zoo, which will help you adjust the reflection and suppress glare.

What is the best camera setting for zoo photography? When it comes to camera settings, this requires a trial and error method.

To avoid catching cages and railings in the frame, you can achieve this effect by using a wider aperture and a longer focal length.

Zoo photography also requires manual focusing. If the cage is in front of it, autofocus is often chaotic.

Animals tend to move quickly during feeding time. Set your camera to shutter priority mode and use a faster shutter speed to freeze the moment in front of your camera.

How to take wonderful photos of the zoo 1 Select the shooting angle to control the background.

One of the biggest challenges of zoo photography is to capture animals with natural backgrounds. You may find animals in perfect locations and good lighting conditions-but the background is too artificial to spoil your photos.

Only by finding the best angle and trying to reach the level of animals or even lower will you provide a new perspective for your image, and the image taken from the line of sight of animals will look more natural. If possible, try adding plants, grass or sky to the background to get a more natural feeling.

2. Plan a day to get the best lighting conditions

The zoo is usually open from morning till late afternoon. This means that you may miss the opportunity to take photos in prime time, but it doesn't mean that you should ignore all the lighting conditions you know.

The best choice is to use natural light for zoo photography, which will make your image look more realistic. Of course, you can't use your own lighting equipment to illuminate the scene, because artificial light will disturb animals.

Try to plan your day and make the light suitable for photography. Shooting in direct sunlight at noon may not be the best choice.

3. Understand the best action schedule of the zoo.

Animals in the zoo have a timetable every day. Some animals sleep all day, while others only move in the morning.

Feeding time can also affect the behavior of animals. During feeding time, they will become more active. You can know the timetable by visiting the zoo a few times, and you can also consult the staff.

4. Find the best position to avoid reflection in the frame and cage.

In the photo of the zoo, the reflection of the glass window can be very annoying. If you try to take pictures from places where tourists usually stand, you may see animals walking around.

Be creative and look for opportunities to change your position. Usually you can bypass the fence and find a better shooting position. You can also decorate it to avoid seeing your reflection and wear dark and plain clothes that can absorb light.

5. Understand animals and capture natural gestures.

Animals in the zoo may live in an artificial environment, but they still have instinct. They move and eat in a certain way. You can take pictures of animals' typical resting posture, yawning and showing their teeth.

You can also learn about different species by watching photos or documentaries. Visiting the zoo can not only take pictures, but also study animal behavior.

6. Add human elements to the real zoo photography.

Zoo photography not only captures animals, but also includes tourists or employees in photos.

This will make the image look real and clearly show where the animal photos were taken.

People caught playing in the zoo can also include city zoo, who is an expert in dealing with animals. Animals know them, so they may be friendlier and have more fun than tourists.

7. Be patient and flexible to get unexpected shots.

It is advised not to go to the zoo with the idea of taking pictures of specific species. Maybe the animal you want to capture may be sleeping when you shoot, so be flexible when you take pictures in the zoo. You may want to shoot elephants, but the shooting conditions of zebras are much better. You walk around with an open mind, looking for interesting scenes.

In addition, be extra patient and considerate, but let nature take its course. The best photos may be taken by accident.

8. Tell visual stories to add emotion to photos.

Telling visual stories with images takes photography to another level.

You can focus on the sad part of the animals living in the zoo and show it to the viewers when the animals are sitting alone in the cage. In this case, including reflected light can increase the drama of your story.

You can also focus on the happiness of living in the zoo, capture animals that interact with tourists and their caregivers, and try to capture endangered species that are safer in the zoo than in the wild.