Explore Zootography with Tamron

150-600
Explore Zootography with Tamron

Zoos bring animals from all over the world to our local communities so grab your camera and head out to your local zoo for some wildlife photography at home! 


Photographing animals in the wild offers its own opportunities and challenges, some of which translate to Zoo Photography as well! Follow along for our tips and tricks on zootography and learn how to ensure that you get great shots! 

10 Tips for Your Next Zootography Expedition

  1. Go at the right time: Animals are often more active during the early morning or late afternoon. Plus the natural lighting at these times is softer, which helps you avoid harsh shadows or overexposure. Avoid the midday hours as the strong overhead light can create shadows and difficult highlights. 
  2. Work with the Light: Leverage backlighting for dramatic silhouettes. Silhouettes are perfect for animals like elephants or giraffes which have very distinct shapes. Side lighting is great for highlighting texture like fur or scales and can give your images a three dimensional quality! 
  3. Frame Your Shots: Utilize environmental elements like tree branches, rocks and foliage to add depth to your images and frame your subject! Playing with depth of field can also help with framing as it allows you to isolate your subject in busy or distracting backgrounds. 
  4. Capture Expressions and Behaviors: When photographing animals, the eyes are the most important focus. The eyes are the most expressive part of an animal so you’ll want to make sure they are in focus and well-lit. Capturing an animal as naturally as possible will elevate your images. It’s worth waiting to catch an animal in a behavior that tells a story, such as yawning, playing or grooming. 
  5. Shooting through barriers: One downside of photographing wildlife in zoos is the barriers between you and your subject. Often enclosures will feature barriers like fences and glass. With the right gear and technique it’s easy to get great shots despite these barriers!  When photographing through glass, hold your lens as close to the glass as possible to avoid reflections. Circular polarizers and lens hoods can also help combat this! When shooting through fences, get as close to the fence as possible and utilize a wide aperture to blur the fence out of focus which will make the fence nearly invisible. 
  6. Continuous Shooting Mode: Animals are pretty unpredictable. Shooting in continuous shooting mode allows you to capture a series of images in quick succession, increasing your chances of capturing the perfect moment
  7. Experiment with Angles: Don’t be afraid to move around to find your shot! Try shooting from lower angles to make your subject seem more intimidating! Moving around will also help you find the perfect angle and lighting.
  8. Pay Attention to the Background: Make sure the background of your images doesn’t take attention away from your subject. Try moving around or changing your angle to reduce distractions. You can also use depth of field to blur the background and isolate your subject. Telephoto lenses also allow you to zoom in tightly on your subject, eliminating a lot of the background. 
  9. Post-Processing: Keep your post-processing natural by making small adjustments to contrast and saturation. This will boost natural colors and help the animal stand out without looking unnatural. Adjusting white balance can help combat color cast from tinted windows or colored glass around the animal enclosures. Additionally, sharpening details like the animals eyes or fur can make your image pop! 
  10. Respect the Animals: Respect the animals and their enclosures. Don’t use flash photography and never try to force and interaction with the animals. Capturing authentic moments and not disrupting the normal behavior of these animals is important to capturing natural, authentic Zoo images. 

Want a more hands on approach to Zootography? Join us at the Cleveland and Nashville Zoos for a Zootography Expedition with Tamron and Pixel Connection. Learn more here! 

Looking for the perfect lens for your Zootography adventure? Visit your local Pixel Connection store in Nashville, TN or Cleveland, OH or shop online at https://thepixelconnection.com/ for the best selection of Tamron lenses and view our recommendations below! 

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