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Anonymous
Hello /p/.

Here are some pictures that I took a few weeks ago at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA.

Just got the camera for Christmas.
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>> Anonymous
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The lighting conditions were really hard to work with, as that most of the birds were usually well over 15 ft away, and not much natural lighting.

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>> Anonymous
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Shooting through cage bars is a blast also.

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>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeCanonCamera ModelCanon PowerShot A720 ISMaximum Lens Aperturef/3.5Sensing MethodOne-Chip Color AreaImage-Specific Properties:Horizontal Resolution180 dpiVertical Resolution180 dpiImage Created2007:12:31 14:47:50RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypePortraitExposure Time1/160 secF-Numberf/4.0ISO Speed Rating200Lens Aperturef/4.0Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModePatternFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length17.15 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width900Image Height1200
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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Prettiest pigeons you'll ever see.

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>> NatureGuy !se3A3TwzdY
work on your composition

simply having an animal in the frame doesn't make it intrinsically interesting, but through use of some basic rules of composition you can away with some fantastic shots

>>115961
this image is starting to have what I'm talking about. Various layers, use of depth of field green - gray - red the color contrasts work well

see what I mean?
>> Anonymous
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>>115973

I definitely know what you mean.
I guess that the main thing that I was trying to do that day was just get things in focus and exposed properly.

Thank you for the compliments on the one though, I spent like half an hour of taking pictures of him, waiting for him to pop his head out for a few good shots.

Here's another one of the same breed that was talking around in the open.

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>> Anonymous
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>> Blackadder !!bSWRwu/NqzQ
Lighting is probably a lot tougher in zoos than in the wild. Plus, in nature the backgrounds tend to look more pleasing than the greys and browns of cages or fences.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
Blasting animals with flash is kind of a dick move, in addition to the fact that it generally leads to worse pictures.
>> NatureGuy !se3A3TwzdY
>>115981
learn to monopod?
>> Blackadder !!bSWRwu/NqzQ
>>115988

That helps with technical things like shutter speeds and blur, but I was thinking more about composition and how pleasing it looks. Especially for the animals in smaller enclosures that block the sun in some directions or that have artificial lighting.

Safari parks are a better bet for some animals.
>> NatureGuy !se3A3TwzdY
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>>116005
/facepalm
A monopod gives you the greater flexibility needed to make the most of what you are working with. So you can actually have DOF instead of sitting there all the way open stuck ant 1/15 of a sec.

I shoot low light indoor zoos all the time.

If you're going for the tiny dof then small enclosures work well for you. You can make multiple layers of varying blur to create excellent shapes that work well with what you are shooting.

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>> Anonymous
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This one is kind of "eh".

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>> Blackadder !!bSWRwu/NqzQ
>>116016

Facepalm? What are you on about? I didn't disagree that monopods were useful. You've basically repeated just what I said before here and elsewhere.

I don't like zoo shots so much because of all the things that the images in this thread show, including your example. Black areas, bad lighting, bars, fences and in other images I've seen, concrete and so on. It's distracting, unpleasant and unnatural.

A monopod didn't turn that image into a nice shot in the open. Yes it it reasonably sharp and exposed, but it's still horrible - composition wise - which is what I complained about before. That kind of thing is obviously less of a problem when you don't have bars and enclosures getting in the way. A monopod doesn't magic it all away.

There are good reasons to go out and shoot animals in the wild rather than in a small cage. The backgrounds and setting can make a big difference in a photo.
>> Anonymous
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I would be great if there wasn't that person standing in the background there.

Too much flash.

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>> NatureGuy !se3A3TwzdY
>>116020
im not going to hijack this guys thread any more of my stuff, but zoos are fine http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=798003
really, they are. most people don't have the time or money to go out in search of animals to photograph.
>> NatureGuy !se3A3TwzdY
>>116019
it is kind of eh, but it more of what you want to explore

One that can be said for most of your photos is
that are sharp, and have decent tonal ranges.

>>116021
try to avoid using flashes in future, many photographers and animal enthusiast will give you one hell of an earful for it. Also it can be desaturating at times. Though you have to wonder what animal shots would look like with a ring flash...
>> Anonymous
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I think the shit-stained post looks more interesting than the bird in this one...

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>> Blackadder !!bSWRwu/NqzQ
>>116024

True. I suppose zoos are very practical and it's always possible to work with the limitations. I do like nature and shots in the wild though. I admire those willing to go trekking out for them. I just have my preferences like we all do. :P

The monkey ones are my favourite there. Bright and colourful backgrounds and has a nice atmosphere. Nothing to distract me from the oh-so cute little monkey.