Post your favorite (or best) zoo pictures!

[neuroanatomist]

San Diego Zoo Safari Park (was Wild Animal Park)

When did they change the name? I lived in Escondido several years ago. I'm even old enough to remember Lion Country Safari up near Irvine...

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

They changed it in June, I found out yesterday after I had read the Zoo November Magazine

[bob williams]

Nate, Wow, Great shots. But I do have a couple of questions, On thier web page, Safari Park mentions viewing the lions through glass; so did you take these shots through glass? or are there other obstructed areas you can view the lions from? If you did take these through glass, Double wow.


Great work as usual,


Bob

[Richard Lane]

Great shots everyone! I think I

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

Hi guys, thanks for the nice comment


Bob, these weren't shot through glass, the lion exhibit at SD Zoo Safari Park has a few viewing areas.


Rich, being a member of the San Diego Zoo, I get unlimited access to the zoo and the park, the first few times I was there I did what most people would do, which was going to every exhibit and trying to take as many photos as I could. I ended up with lots of images with busy background, bad head angle, no eye contact, people head in the way, ect, you get the idea. After that I decided to pick one exhibit and spent as much time as I could there (The Lion Camp Exhibit for this year). The longer you spend at an exhibit the more you know about the behavior of the animals, the lighting direction and condition, where to shoot without busy background and what type of equipment you need to get the image.

[Richard Lane]

Thanks Nate, I'll keep that in mind!


What type of "post processing" do you do, because all of your photos seem to have a wonderful, dreamy look to them?


Did you use a Circ. Pol filter?


Rich

[Jayson]

Probably had my last round at the zoo a couple days back. Getting mighty chilly for the kids to hang out at the zoo.


This guy was finally awake for a couple minutes.

[Bill W]

My day at the Franklin Park Zoo, Dorchester, Ma.,11-12-10. I went specifically for the new born gorilla and came away some other species as well.


Kiki and her 9 day old infant


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Kiki was a little disgruntled here because there was one person taking a lot of shots w/a flash.


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Father


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Older sister of newborn


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African White-back Vulture


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Saddle-billed Stork


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All photos taken w/7D, 70-200 2.8 IS (rented, not specifically for this photo op), f2.8 to 3.2, ISO either 500 or 800, shutter 1/40 to 1/125. The gorillas' pix were taken thru 5/8th plate glass.


Thanks for looking


Bill

[BogdanD]

The beluga looks almost thoughtful....love it!

[Craig85]

A lion, from Suffolk Wildlife Park. Canon 300d 75-300mm @ 300mm, ISO 100, f/7.1 &1/400.