Animal Portraits

EdinburghGary

EdinburghGary

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Gary
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Had a walk around the Zoo today, and went for some tight portraits using the 70 to 200 mostly. My favourite however, was taken with the Bigma!! The Zebra shot...

Had fun, wee Gary used the D200 and had a blast too.

Penguin Dive
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A big boy
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Tree Huggers
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Big Perch
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Stupid Goalie
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Snuggles in the dark!
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Smile, and your face might crack
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Geez a kiss
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The man in the mirror
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cont...
 
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Two Tone Mahone
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C & C welcome, I enjoyed taking these, very relaxing with zero pressure, A far cry from landscapes!!!

Gary.
 
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Really good set there! Hard to choose a fave, but I think the composition of #1 is something different...so it's #1 for me! :)
 
These are excellent. You lugged the Bigma round the zoo?? :eek: Oh, I forgot, you don't exactly travel light, do you? :LOL:

I think The Man in the Mirror is my favourite, can't tell you why though.
 
fabs said:
These are excellent. You lugged the Bigma round the zoo?? :eek: Oh, I forgot, you don't exactly travel light, do you? :LOL:

I think The Man in the Mirror is my favourite, can't tell you why though.
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Bigma, 14 to 24, 24 to 70, 70 to 200, 50 1.4, D3, S5 Pro, Tripod...and once We Gary got tired...

D200, 70 to 300 VR, Sigma 10 to 20, Small Tripod!

I AM WRECKED! :D

Gary.
 
These are a nice set Gary. I like the proceesing too.
The rhino are a little to close to the frame for me.
 
:clap: Lovely shots Gary..really like the bright colours of the lorikeet against the dull background..superb!
 
That chimp shot is fantastic.
Dean:)
 
Matt said:
These are a nice set Gary. I like the proceesing too.
The rhino are a little to close to the frame for me.
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Cheers mate, I agree completely. My reason for the tight crop was I had to shoo through two massive planks, it was a real pain in the ass. Its hard to get decent views, I feel some of the fences etc are way OTT.
 
Dino f said:
That chimp shot is fantastic.
Dean:)
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Ta :D

Very hard shot to get, I will explain....basically very thick glass between me and it. And for some bizarre reason, the uglisest lights ever behind me, and they were being reflected in the glass everywhere except this one vantage point. I had to wait with my finger on the trigger for him to glimpse sideways, took about 6 minutes to get it.
 
Different from your "usual" Gary
The rhisoserous is a tad to "tight" for me, but a great set none the less(y)
Penguin dive and Man in the mirror for me
 
Cobra said:
Different from your "usual" Gary
The rhisoserous is a tad to "tight" for me, but a great set none the less(y)
Penguin dive and Man in the mirror for me
Click to expand...

Ta mate,

Gonna buy an annual pass, really enjoyed myself and would be good to develop and ehnance upon the shots when bored...its only a mile from my house.
 
Snuggles and the chimp one are my faves, they are SUPERB!
 
photostar_1 said:
Really nice work in what were obviously difficult conditions, judging by your comments. I love Snuggles and the chimp too.
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Some of it was difficult (The Rhino, the Monkey), the Penquins, well thats just down to technique - one which I have yet to master, they are bloody fast!

Cheers,

Gary.
 
This is a cracking srt Gary, for my favs would have to pick Snuggles and the chimp, but hard to pick as all good shots.
 
Gary these are really something! I love the second one :D Looks right prim and proper!

You really do have your own style, which seems to work on zoo animals too! :LOL:

Jo
xxx
 
Jo said:
Gary these are really something! I love the second one :D Looks right prim and proper!

You really do have your own style, which seems to work on zoo animals too! :LOL:

Jo
xxx
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Thanks Jo :D Good fun!

Yantorsen said:
wow, love them all, those first two and the rhino are STUNNING. So sharp.
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Ta, not as keen on them as I know if I pace myself and concentrate, I can get much better of them. Its a tough place to shoot, but I think with my Bigma, I should be able to get an excellent flying penquin :D

cosmix3 said:
This is a cracking srt Gary, for my favs would have to pick Snuggles and the chimp, but hard to pick as all good shots.
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Thanks, I still woryr if snuggles is slightly too dark. I wanted to go for a dark and moody sort of shot, but maybe I overdid it.
 
Very nice set Gary but I have to say number two is my fav... lovely and sharp and love the background...

Crack set mate..
 
EdinburghGary said:
Thanks, I still woryr if snuggles is slightly too dark. I wanted to go for a dark and moody sort of shot, but maybe I overdid it.
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To me it is right, the darkness isolates them well and shows a sence of isolation and Intimacy which works well in the shot, just my oppinion though....
 
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EdinburghGary said:
Bigma, 14 to 24, 24 to 70, 70 to 200, 50 1.4, D3, S5 Pro, Tripod...and once We Gary got tired...

D200, 70 to 300 VR, Sigma 10 to 20, Small Tripod!

I AM WRECKED! :D

Gary.
Click to expand...


and there was me wondering why my zoo photos alway just look like snaps:LOL: Really good set there - love "man in the mirror"
 
Blinding set mate (y)
How did you get the skin so sharp on the rhino shots? Leaps out the screen, what kinda process ya done there?
T.
 
Gary

Nice set. A couple are a touch over processed for my taste in natural history but well done. Oh, and if you think your bag is heavy, start carrying around a 500 or 600!

Paul
 
Shutterman said:
Very nice set Gary but I have to say number two is my fav... lovely and sharp and love the background...

Crack set mate..
Click to expand...

Thank you :)

cosmix3 said:
To me it is right, the darkness isolates them well and shows a sence of isolation and Intimacy which works well in the shot, just my oppinion though....
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Im glad that has come across. It was actually a very sweet scene to witness, and very sad I felt. Something about Monkeys that is just a little "too" human. And I can't help but feel sad at the glass, walls, fences, and "circus" of the zoo :(

annao said:
and there was me wondering why my zoo photos alway just look like snaps:LOL: Really good set there - love "man in the mirror"
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Ach, I bet your shots are ace.

Abercrombie said:
Nice sharp captures! Snuggles is my fave =)
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Thanking you :)

Tomas Whitehouse said:
Blinding set mate (y)
How did you get the skin so sharp on the rhino shots? Leaps out the screen, what kinda process ya done there?
T.
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Its very sharp out of the camera, I mean uber sharp. I did apply the same sharpening I do to all my shots, just the default "filter > sharpen" in CS3. In ACR, I enhanced contrast a little, nothing else done.

grumpybadger said:
Gary

Nice set. A couple are a touch over processed for my taste in natural history but well done. Oh, and if you think your bag is heavy, start carrying around a 500 or 600!

Paul
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Thanks Paul. I will be going back for more practise, and may calm down on the contrast a little next time (all I really changed with this set).

600? Nice :D
 
EdinburghGary said:
Its very sharp out of the camera, I mean uber sharp. I did apply the same sharpening I do to all my shots, just the default "filter > sharpen" in CS3. In ACR, I enhanced contrast a little, nothing else done.
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Very well done mate, sharp as jiff lemon in the eye!
T
 
I think it is the contrast that jumps out a bit to me. I guess I am a fan of the "lifelike" school of thought for animals (why all my pictures look flat!) but you have done the contrasty look well. I was at Edinburgh zoo in the summer. It's certainly a nice place.

I "only" have the 500 but that and a 300/2.8 and 2 pro bodies is quite a weight!

Paul
 
Cracking shots there Gary, Love No: 2 brill bokeh. Had a good visit there meself early in the year, I'm thinking of a membership too. They sometimes have a photography event where some guy takes you round the hotspots giving advice on how to shoot etc. Dunno if its worth it but I missed getting booked this summer as the places were filled when I spotted it.

Pity its so damn hilly, I try to time it when the trailer takes passengers to the top of the hill and start from there:)
 
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making good use of the free entry to the zoo last Sunday?

i was on my way there but a wall got in the way or the car so i had to head home :(

pot xx
 
pot shot said:
making good use of the free entry to the zoo last Sunday?

i was on my way there but a wall got in the way or the car so i had to head home :(

pot xx
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No way, the entire world descends on the Zoo on free days. No room to breath. I went a week later (yesterday), and the place was DEAD.

frank said:
Cracking shots there Gary, Love No: 2 brill bokeh. Had a good visit there meself early in the year, I'm thinking of a membership too. They sometimes have a photography event where some guy takes you round the hotspots giving advice on how to shoot etc. Dunno if its worth it but I missed getting booked this summer as the places were filled when I spotted it.

Pity its so damn hilly, I try to time it when the trailer takes passengers to the top of the hill and start from there:)
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£50 a year is excellent value, I mean - I could spend 8 hours going around, no problem.

Tomas Whitehouse said:
Very well done mate, sharp as jiff lemon in the eye!
T
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Sounds Painful! :)

grumpybadger said:
I think it is the contrast that jumps out a bit to me. I guess I am a fan of the "lifelike" school of thought for animals (why all my pictures look flat!) but you have done the contrasty look well. I was at Edinburgh zoo in the summer. It's certainly a nice place.

I "only" have the 500 but that and a 300/2.8 and 2 pro bodies is quite a weight!

Paul
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300 2.8 sounds ace! Nice?

Gary.
 
Yup, I'm slowly getting used to it. The 500/4 is my workhorse, but the 300 is lighter smaller and also an excellent lens. The shots on my Donna Nook thread were all taken with 300/2.8 and 1.4x as the 500 is too long to fit in a bag with a body attached and I didn't want to carry the lens and tripod for a mile over wet sand on my shoulder.

If I really want reach and top quality, I still take the 500 but the 300 is getting used a lot more for general stuff and I will handhold it a little sometimes as well.

Paul
 
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