Taking Pictures at the Zoo
Shutter Speed: 1/80 f/stop: 6.3 (This reminds me of the wolf from "The NeverEnding Story".)
With a more advanced camera, such as a digital SLR, you can get lost in the settings. Know your camera before you go. When you are shooting outdoors without fences, cages or glass, the sky is the limit. Make sure to have a fast shutter speed and a low f/stop or aperture. Shutter speed affects the amount of time light is let in and is measured in increments of a second. The longer the exposure, the more light is let in.
Shutter Speed:1/800 f/stop: 6.3 Shutter Speed:1/160 f/stop: 6.3
The aperture or f/stop dictates how much light is let through the sensor. The lower the f/stop, the more vivid the color develops. Try to find a happy medium between these two images, both of which are intentionally horrible.
Shutter Speed: 1/200 f/stop: 7.1 Shutter Speed: 1/500 f/stop: 16
Finding a happy medium between the aperture setting and the shutter speed can produce some really quality images.
Shutter Speed: 1/1600 f/stop: 6.3
Remember is that a trip to the zoo is not all about the animals. Zoos are a wonderful place to test out a number of photographic techniques. At the Honolulu Zoo, they have a beautiful indigenous plant life garden that affords a photographer a chance to show-off their macro skills. The natural surroundings should not be ignored either. When possible, incorporate the local scenery. It will make the animals less like they are in the zoo and more like they are in their natural, wild element. When that is not possible, like when you are visiting a city or at a cement enclosure, focus on the animal; key in on tiny details, such as the hairs in the nostril or the insects in their ear.
Most importantly, enjoy the zoo. Get to know the animals. Do not scare them or try to elicit a reaction by being obnoxious. Again, a bigger camera does not make you special. A trip to the zoo is a superb time to hone in on a particular technique you have been meaning to master. And if you do not get the shot the first time around, take a break, visit other animals, grab a $5 bottle of water and come back. The animals certainly are not going to walk off. Do not sweat the small things. So many muddled details will be forgiven as long as you capture a great shot of a beautiful animal.