More zoo-nosis (well it is quite infectious )

Cobra

Cobra

In Memoriam. TPer Emeritus
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Messages
115,214
Name
The real Chris
Edit My Images
No
OMG! he's back!


IMG_4957 by Chris-the-falconer, on Flickr

Right thats it, I'm 'avin' this time!


IMG_4963 by Chris-the-falconer, on Flickr

No, No, leave it dear, look what happened last time
you got into a scrap.


IMG_4968 by Chris-the-falconer, on Flickr

OK I'll just stand here and pontificate then


IMG_4972 by Chris-the-falconer, on Flickr

A couple of song titles

Born to be wild, Stepin' wolf


IMG_4930 by Chris-the-falconer, on Flickr

Say what? they do what to Kangaroo's?
Yes I know its a Wallaby, but its really a wanabee (Think about it ;) )


IMG_4942 by Chris-the-falconer, on Flickr

hare' Mara krishna hare' Mara krishna


IMG_5027 by Chris-the-falconer, on Flickr


This just has to be the Bear necessity


IMG_4920 by Chris-the-falconer, on Flickr
 
Chris Wilson said:
Hey Chris - super set!
Nice to see a good gob shot at the end there, and how on earth did you get that flamingo to levitate??
cheers, cw
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris I appreciate you dropping by (y)
The Flamingo chick .........
I did see a couple of empty Red bull cans laying around the nest site :D

It was standing in shallow water,
jumping up and down and "testing" its wings. :)
 
Superb shots there Cobra, they say a picture paints a thousand words, but wit works just as well. :D
 
Jwar1976 said:
Superb shots there Cobra, they say a picture paints a thousand words, but wit works just as well. :D
Click to expand...
Well I have to do something to make the images appear half decent :D

Thanks for dropping by its appreciated (y)
 
Tintin124 said:
Excellent Set Chris... Must PM you to sort out a Whipsnade visit.. :D
Click to expand...
Cheers Bryn, (y)
I hope you like the Panda, I took it just for you :D

And no worries, we must get together at some point, we keep saying we will :D :)
 
Cracking Lion shots ... nice to see them moving around and I love the wolf too (y)
 
new2me said:
Cracking Lion shots ... nice to see them moving around and I love the wolf too (y)
Click to expand...
I keep telling you, all you need to do is dangle a small child in front of the glass :D

Thanks Neil (y)
 
Cobra said:
Well I have to do something to make the images appear half decent :D

Thanks for dropping by its appreciated (y)
Click to expand...


No worries, it has been awhile & I am shameful to say that I haven't even been lurking that much do to family stuff been going on, with my niece being born :). However my Dad kindly lent me his 70-300 IS lens for a couple of months & so on Thursday I will be going back to Banham in the hope of some decent shots, but probably without the wit as I will leave that to you the expert Cobra :D
 
Last edited:
Jwar1976 said:
on Thursday I will be going back to Banham in the hope of some decent shots, but probably without the wit as I will leave that to you the expert Cobra :D
Click to expand...
LOL & Enjoy Banham John (y)
 
Will do thanks Cobra, I want to get back into it as much as possible over the coming weeks, so Colchester Zoo is a must in a week or so as well.
 
What fantastic Beasts, and captured so well, also just enjoyed viewing many of your other images on flkr, all very good I must say , I hope you don't mind me asking, is there a special technique shooting through wire mesh? I'm hoping to capture the newly arrived Lions at Folly Farm next week, and my last attempt shooting through mesh was not good.
Any advise how to, would be much appreciated.
:)
 
Barney Strumble said:
What fantastic Beasts, and captured so well, also just enjoyed viewing many of your other images on flkr, all very good I must say , I hope you don't mind me asking, is there a special technique shooting through wire mesh? I'm hoping to capture the newly arrived Lions at Folly Farm next week, and my last attempt shooting through mesh was not good.
Any advise how to, would be much appreciated.
:)
Click to expand...

Hi and thanks for your kind comments, they are appreciated (y)

Shooting through mesh is right PITA.
Especially if there are also stand off barriers, ie the best way is to put the lens hood
right up against the wire, and shoot through the "gap".

Narrow mesh is a real PITA!
This was shot through mesh, no more than 3/4 inch wide. (about 20mm)
if you look closely you can see it. Luckily the enclosure was shaded and quite dark,
as was the interior. so f/2.8 and slightly over expose.
https://flic.kr/p/ooE8FS

But obviously shooting at 2.8 at a subject that is some distance away,
brings it's own problems, aka a very shallow depth of field.
Something like a big cat, tiger for instance, face on,
and at the back of a pen,
the eyes should be nicely in focus, but the tail / back end, won't be.

Also the distance from the wire to subject plays a big part.
the further away the subject is, the easier it becomes.
This was shot, from a stand off position,
a good meter from the wire, because of the barrier;
but the Cougar was a good 15 meters away,
bright / harsh sunlight but it wasn't directly on the wire so I got away with f/4.
And the mesh about 3ins ( ~ 75mm) wide
https://flic.kr/p/o7oMoM.

But look closely at the cats nose, again, although the rest is nicely in focus,
there is a wire running across its nose, hence the blur.

It takes a little getting used to, to be able to see the wire, in the view finder as it slightly blurs the image,
and you may not notice it until you get the image on the screen.

The best aperture is f/2.8 if you have to "stand off" from the wire.
Although a narrower aperture can be used on a longer lens. (300 mm etc)
As this may blur the wire out.
(I normally shoot with a 70-200 f/2.8)
But will also give a slight misty effect.

Black wire is the best / easiest to shoot through,
Light coloured wire with the sun on it,
its a right nightmare, so if you find yourself in this situation,
try and move around, so the sun is not directly in front or behind you,
and shoot as straight as possible, through the wire, on to the subject, aiming for the eyes (or eye)
If you are shooting at an angle, on to the subject, the size of the mess is greatly reduced.

Glass, dirty / scratch glass is worse than wire.
Especially if the sun is on it.
(From either the back or the front)

ALWAYS use a lens hood, and press that tight up against the glass,
so there are no gaps. Wrap your hand around the hood where it meets the glass,
if necessary.

Be aware of people around you wearing light clothes.
Kids and yummy mummy's wearing pink :rolleyes:

This can also give you a "back reflection" on the glass.
Ie the sun is in front, or to the side of you,
the lens hood it tight up against the glass, but you will still get the reflection.
And obviously be aware of what you are wearing for the same reason.
Dark is good :)

Well that turned out longer than expected :D
I hope it helps (y)

Just have fun. :)
 
Really like them and the funny comments too
spot on tips for shooting through wire too
its the stand off barriers that I find a pain they are often further from the wire than they need to be, I lean forward as far as I can to get nearer the wire
clear.png
 
Cobra said:
Hi and thanks for your kind comments, they are appreciated (y)

Shooting through mesh is right PITA.
Especially if there are also stand off barriers, ie the best way is to put the lens hood
right up against the wire, and shoot through the "gap".

Narrow mesh is a real PITA!
This was shot through mesh, no more than 3/4 inch wide. (about 20mm)
if you look closely you can see it. Luckily the enclosure was shaded and quite dark,
as was the interior. so f/2.8 and slightly over expose.
https://flic.kr/p/ooE8FS

But obviously shooting at 2.8 at a subject that is some distance away,
brings it's own problems, aka a very shallow depth of field.
Something like a big cat, tiger for instance, face on,
and at the back of a pen,
the eyes should be nicely in focus, but the tail / back end, won't be.

Also the distance from the wire to subject plays a big part.
the further away the subject is, the easier it becomes.
This was shot, from a stand off position,
a good meter from the wire, because of the barrier;
but the Cougar was a good 15 meters away,
bright / harsh sunlight but it wasn't directly on the wire so I got away with f/4.
And the mesh about 3ins ( ~ 75mm) wide
https://flic.kr/p/o7oMoM.

But look closely at the cats nose, again, although the rest is nicely in focus,
there is a wire running across its nose, hence the blur.

It takes a little getting used to, to be able to see the wire, in the view finder as it slightly blurs the image,
and you may not notice it until you get the image on the screen.

The best aperture is f/2.8 if you have to "stand off" from the wire.
Although a narrower aperture can be used on a longer lens. (300 mm etc)
As this may blur the wire out.
(I normally shoot with a 70-200 f/2.8)
But will also give a slight misty effect.

Black wire is the best / easiest to shoot through,
Light coloured wire with the sun on it,
its a right nightmare, so if you find yourself in this situation,
try and move around, so the sun is not directly in front or behind you,
and shoot as straight as possible, through the wire, on to the subject, aiming for the eyes (or eye)
If you are shooting at an angle, on to the subject, the size of the mess is greatly reduced.

Glass, dirty / scratch glass is worse than wire.
Especially if the sun is on it.
(From either the back or the front)

ALWAYS use a lens hood, and press that tight up against the glass,
so there are no gaps. Wrap your hand around the hood where it meets the glass,
if necessary.

Be aware of people around you wearing light clothes.
Kids and yummy mummy's wearing pink :rolleyes:

This can also give you a "back reflection" on the glass.
Ie the sun is in front, or to the side of you,
the lens hood it tight up against the glass, but you will still get the reflection.
And obviously be aware of what you are wearing for the same reason.
Dark is good :)

Well that turned out longer than expected :D
I hope it helps (y)

Just have fun. :)
Click to expand...


You should post that spiel in the tutorial section! OK, lots of us know it and some of you even manage to put most of it into practice but I'm sure there are people who wonder (as evidenced by the question that prompted the answer.)

As always, a great set with suitable captions. Roll on the Nutters' meet!
 
Nod said:
You should post that spiel in the tutorial section! OK, lots of us know it and some of you even manage to put most of it into practice but I'm sure there are people who wonder (as evidenced by the question that prompted the answer.)

As always, a great set with suitable captions. Roll on the Nutters' meet!
Click to expand...

Thats a thought Nod,
I may just do that after a few little tweaks :)

Thanks for your kind comments too (y)
 
LCPete said:
Really like them and the funny comments too
spot on tips for shooting through wire too
its the stand off barriers that I find a pain they are often further from the wire than they need to be, I lean forward as far as I can to get nearer the wire
clear.png
Click to expand...
Thanks for both Pete, (y)
I find by standing on the bottom rail, you can lean further over too.
Just don't get caught doing it :D
 
Cobra said:
Hi and thanks for your kind comments, they are appreciated (y)

Shooting through mesh is right PITA.
Especially if there are also stand off barriers, ie the best way is to put the lens hood
right up against the wire, and shoot through the "gap".

Narrow mesh is a real PITA!
This was shot through mesh, no more than 3/4 inch wide. (about 20mm)
if you look closely you can see it. Luckily the enclosure was shaded and quite dark,
as was the interior. so f/2.8 and slightly over expose.
https://flic.kr/p/ooE8FS

But obviously shooting at 2.8 at a subject that is some distance away,
brings it's own problems, aka a very shallow depth of field.
Something like a big cat, tiger for instance, face on,
and at the back of a pen,
the eyes should be nicely in focus, but the tail / back end, won't be.

Also the distance from the wire to subject plays a big part.
the further away the subject is, the easier it becomes.
This was shot, from a stand off position,
a good meter from the wire, because of the barrier;
but the Cougar was a good 15 meters away,
bright / harsh sunlight but it wasn't directly on the wire so I got away with f/4.
And the mesh about 3ins ( ~ 75mm) wide
https://flic.kr/p/o7oMoM.

But look closely at the cats nose, again, although the rest is nicely in focus,
there is a wire running across its nose, hence the blur.

It takes a little getting used to, to be able to see the wire, in the view finder as it slightly blurs the image,
and you may not notice it until you get the image on the screen.

The best aperture is f/2.8 if you have to "stand off" from the wire.
Although a narrower aperture can be used on a longer lens. (300 mm etc)
As this may blur the wire out.
(I normally shoot with a 70-200 f/2.8)
But will also give a slight misty effect.

Black wire is the best / easiest to shoot through,
Light coloured wire with the sun on it,
its a right nightmare, so if you find yourself in this situation,
try and move around, so the sun is not directly in front or behind you,
and shoot as straight as possible, through the wire, on to the subject, aiming for the eyes (or eye)
If you are shooting at an angle, on to the subject, the size of the mess is greatly reduced.

Glass, dirty / scratch glass is worse than wire.
Especially if the sun is on it.
(From either the back or the front)

ALWAYS use a lens hood, and press that tight up against the glass,
so there are no gaps. Wrap your hand around the hood where it meets the glass,
if necessary.

Be aware of people around you wearing light clothes.
Kids and yummy mummy's wearing pink :rolleyes:

This can also give you a "back reflection" on the glass.
Ie the sun is in front, or to the side of you,
the lens hood it tight up against the glass, but you will still get the reflection.
And obviously be aware of what you are wearing for the same reason.
Dark is good :)

Well that turned out longer than expected :D
I hope it helps (y)

Just have fun. :)
Click to expand...
:ty:
Thank you Cobra, I really appreciate the time you've taken to share your technique, I've looked over your shots again, looking for the blurred wire,
and finding it hard to notice any wire issues.
So HUGE thanks for sharing apature settings and explaining how shallow depth, and shooting certain distances helps in this situation,
Thanks also for the tips on shooting through glass, I've only tried this a few times with lol/bad results, so I must put lens hood on my to get list, but for now,
the helful tips for shooting though mesh is fantastic, and can't wait to put to practice next week. Thanks again.:)
Best regards
Barney.
 
Barney Strumble said:
:ty:
Thank you Cobra, I really appreciate the time you've taken to share your technique, .............
Best regards
Barney.
Click to expand...
No worries Barney I hope it is of some use.

Good luck and have fun, that's what its all about after all (y)
But yes a lens hood is a must, for that type of thing.
Plus of course they will protect the ends of the lens,
should you inadvertently knock it against something :)
I don't know what lens's you have,
but really they are not that expensive (Hoods) on the likes of ebay.


For future reference, I've now added that post, to the resource section, and added a few more little bits, as well.
Your'll find it HERE
 
Fab set as ever Chris.

What filthy joke did you tell to make the wolf grin?
 
viv1969 said:
Fab set as ever Chris.

What filthy joke did you tell to make the wolf grin?
Click to expand...
Cheers Ruth (y)

I said nothing, the person next to me, said that Nikon is better than Canon.
:D
 
Cobra said:
Cheers Ruth (y)

I said nothing, the person next to me, said that Nikon is better than Canon.
:D
Click to expand...

A classic howler!

Sorry...I'll get me coat :LOL:
 
Cobra said:
I said nothing, the person next to me, said that Nikon is better than Canon.
:D
Click to expand...

Which is of course very true (y)
But of course the real reason is he could finally see who was taking the picture without being blinded by
a very bright spotlight ;):p

Love the 3rd Lion picture, not a bad set for a canon I suppose (y):D
 
Only the unsporting shoot wildlife with a cannon...
 
Blimey I'm not sure I'm equipt to shoot at zoo's after catching up on this thread, well I suppose its time I held my hands up and admit I have a hmmm! well its erm!
ok its a Cannon, there, its out in the open now,lol, its one of those 600D ones which came with one EF-S 18/55 f/3.5-5.6 III, and one EF 75-300 f/4.5.6 III,
well thats what it says on the box anyway. so besides a hood, do you think I should invest in another lens, or just stick at what I've got for now,
Thanks again for all that extra info Cobra, its really much appreciated, and such a great help for a newby like I.
:)
 
Barney Strumble said:
Blimey I'm not sure I'm equipt to shoot at zoo's after catching up on this thread, well I suppose its time I held my hands up and admit I have a hmmm! well its erm!
ok its a Cannon, there, its out in the open now,lol, its one of those 600D ones which came with one EF-S 18/55 f/3.5-5.6 III, and one EF 75-300 f/4.5.6 III,:)
Click to expand...


That sounds ok to me, we all have to start somewhere ;):D

Seriously, take no notice, we always take the mick out of each other, I know very little about canon but what you
have sounds ok for zoos. in fairness there is very little to choose between makes, it's all down to personal preference (y)
 
Yup, the cannon comment was very firmly tongue in cheek. Like Ingrid, I chose a different make but had the Canon equivalent to my first modern SLR fitted me better than the Nikon, I would have Canons now.

There's no doubt that the wider the lens can go the more you can throw the fencing at zoos (and race tracks) out of focus but there's even less doubt that those wide aperture lenses can be eye wateringly expensive! Your current kit will serve you well until you feel the need (or want) to upgrade.

Chris's hints and tips above are well worth absorbing and trying to put into practise and at least with a DSLR you can see what you're going to get through the viewfinder and can see what you DID get instantly rather than having to wait for the prints to come back from the lab like we had to in the days of film.
 
Cheers Ingrid and Nod, Yes, I've seen some cracking Canon and Nikon shots on the forum, as well as many other brands, I'm starting to understand what its all about now,
and fully appreciate that alot of you guys n gals have spent many hours mastering your photography skills, to produce the fantastic images you all post. :)
 
Barney Strumble said:
Blimey I'm not sure I'm equipt to shoot at zoo's after catching up on this thread, well I suppose its time I held my hands up and admit I have a hmmm! well its erm!
ok its a Cannon, there, its out in the open now,lol, its one of those 600D ones which came with one EF-S 18/55 f/3.5-5.6 III, and one EF 75-300 f/4.5.6 III,
well thats what it says on the box anyway. so besides a hood, do you think I should invest in another lens, or just stick at what I've got for now,
Thanks again for all that extra info Cobra, its really much appreciated, and such a great help for a newby like I.
:)
Click to expand...
As already mentioned we all had to start somewhere :)
(and take no notice of that Nik. Nik. Nope cant say it, crowd, they are only jealous of the superior canons (y)
75-300 is a capable lens. As is the 600D
You may, if the light is good, which its looking to be,
zoom through the wire at 300mm.
Move around a bit, try and get a decent angle.
the straighter you are onto your subject and the further away from the wire it is, the better chance you stand :)
Don't worry about going out and spending more money on another lens,
practice with what you have.
Take on board the tips and trick, but also, don't be afraid to experiment either :)

BUT what I will say is definitely get a lens hood at the first chance you get :)
Again you don't need to spend a fortune on the hood, but try not to get a "Tulip shaped" one.
Preferably one with a flat face to it.

Barney Strumble said:
and fully appreciate that alot of you guys n gals have spent many hours mastering your photography skills, to produce the fantastic images you all post. :)
Click to expand...
Its a good job you don't see the ones we bin :D
Just have fun :)
 
As Chris says, keeper rates can be quite low!

To add to his lens hood advice, it might be worth looking for a rubber hood for your zoo lens(es) since a rubber hood can be pressed right up against the glass and allows a certain amount of variation of angle when shooting which rigid hoods don't. However, the rigid hoods are generally better than the rubber ones for use to avoid sunlight hitting the front element of the lens in normal use.

Oh, and even Chris can't bring himself to use an upper case "C" in front of Canon but shows respect for Nikon even though he's too SCARED to say the whole word! (Please note that the inter brand banter is just banter. Although my main DSLRs are Nikons, I have a couple of Canons [albeit compacts] and a few other brands as well.)
 
Nod said:
To add to his lens hood advice, it might be worth looking for a rubber hood for your zoo lens(es) since a rubber hood can be pressed right up against the glass and allows a certain amount of variation of angle when shooting which rigid hoods don't. However, the rigid hoods are generally better than the rubber ones for use to avoid sunlight hitting the front element of the lens in normal use.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't use a rubber (lens hood that is :p ) one.
As they collapse to easily besides the 75-300 front element extends, and it would be all too easy to hit the front element, or certainly the front of the lens,
on the glass or wire.
I agree that they are better for cutting out the light.
But I'd be inclined to carry a small cloth, to wrap around the end of the hood, if you think that it may not seal that well.
Nod said:
Oh, and even Chris can't bring himself to use an upper case "C" in front of Canon but shows respect for Nikon even though he's too SCARED to say the whole word! (Please note that the inter brand banter is just banter. Although my main DSLRs are Nikons, I have a couple of Canons [albeit compacts] and a few other brands as well.)
Click to expand...
canon's don't need to shout about how good they are :p
As for that other brand, well, you must have seen what happened in Beetleguise :D
(Disclaimer, yes it is all friendly banter between the two brand owners :) )
 
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