Every since I was a kid, I have always loved animals. Especially ocean animals. I remember my family having a year’s pass to Sea World in California and getting called down during the Dolphin Show was the height of my current existence. Getting to TOUCH a dolphin with my bare hand. Amazing and unforgettable experience. And let me take 2 seconds on my soap box and talk about how important for conservation zoos and aquariums are. They provide a once in a lifetime look at species we may never get the chance to see in real life.
Several weekends ago, when it was barely above 40 degrees, we bundled up and made a day of visiting the local zoo. I took my camera and was so excited to get some great pictures of some new subjects. We first came up to the bald eagle enclosure, one of the first when you walk into Potter Park. I used my telephoto lens for these photos and the detail I got was INSANE. Loved these shots.
We moved through the park and found the otters next. They were hard to get good shots of because they would not sit still!! There was also a bubble net over one entire pane of glass of their enclosure, most likely for enrichment. I started the day thinking this would make it hard to get good photos, however after seeing the results I changed my mind and loved the idea of shooting through moving bubbles.
We moved forward and were met with both the Pallas Cat and the Red Panda who both proved to be one of the best subjects. The Pallas Cat was making a chattering noise with his mouth, like he was watching birds from the window, and so his face was scrunched in a hilarious way. The Red Panda was marking his territory on several logs that were higher up in his enclosure. He ended up on the roof of an inside structure which was the perfect spot to get some good head-on shots.
Tigers and lions and bears, OH MY! The Tiger was out and magnificent. He was yowling and roaring even well after we left the area. They were doing work on the lion exhibit, so they were in another area of the zoo. And this particular zoo actually did not have bears. But they did have a snow leopard. Snow Leopards are my favorite of the big cat species. When I was in college, I interned as a Keeper at Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, MI. I worked behind the scenes with animals like snow leopards. And at once point I actually got to pet theirs. It was another time in my life that I will never forget.
And then comes the most amazing, perfect action shot I have ever been lucky enough to get. We stopped at the penguin pond. Several penguins were on the rocks, sunbathing or sleeping. 2 were in the water, swimming circles around the pool. There is a current added to the pond to make it realistic to their natural environments. And this one penguin was getting air! Every so often he would leap into the air, continuing to circle around the pool. The coolest shot I’ve gotten so far.
The rhino was our last stop and she was stunning. My telephoto lens was perfect for these up-close shots of her. Her wrinkles and her eyes, the hair on the tips of her ears, her feet. Things we don’t get to see from regular observer distance. We stood there for several minutes trying to coax her out of her inside enclosure. I’m glad now that we were patient enough to experience her. Especially with it being so cold.
I can’t wait to do more wildlife photography and I already have a lot of plans for the warmer months, traveling to Detroit and Chicago to take photos at their zoos.
Thanks for coming to the zoo with me today. I can’t wait to continue exploring along with my readers, the wonderful world of photography.
xoxo -Amanda
HAVN Photography 