Henry Doorly Zoo

I photographed animals in the Henry Doorly Zoo Lied Jungle today.  It is my only opportunity to photograph many of the species that are on display.

The Lied Jungle is very warm and humid - quite a contrast to the January weather outside.  My glasses fogged over immediately.   It takes quite a while for a cold camera lens to acclimate to the heat o keep  your camera warm or be prepared to wait.

The light in the main exhibit is natural.  During the dark and dreary winter, shooting with natural light is a challenge.  Many of the animals are in a large exhibit area so a longer lens is required.  I used a 200mm and kept it on f2 most of the time.  ISO 640 was as low as I could go and my shutter speed was usually less than 1/125th of a second.

This shrew wasn't easy to photograph.  I had to shoot through wire and the enclosure was relatively dark.  His nose was in constant motion.

Eye contact is important.

Zoo photos are more interesting when you capture behavior as well as the animals.