Zoomania

We had a trip planned to visit the Fort Worth Zoo and originally had six members signed up to go but then as it came closer, four cancelled out due to work requirements. Honestly… you need to choose your priorities in life! Yes, I suppose work is a priority but I was disappointed as I know the crazy women would have had a great time and come home with lots of great shots. We will definitely be planning another trip to the FW Zoo.

So Tess and I headed out. She was excited because she recently bought the Canon EF 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens. She was anxious to use it and I was anxious to see how it worked as I was shooting with the Canon EF 70-200/4L IS USM and simply did not have the same reach for far away subjects.

We got out early and arrived to find the lot filled with mostly school buses but once in the park, there were no crowds and the weather was perfect! And we were shooting everything! Spent a lot of time shooting the monkeys as they were so comical and that was when I tried Tess’s lens and found the reach to be excellent. The lens is heavy but can still be hand held. (I will admit that Tess is stronger than I am.) I would have been worn out after two hours of toting it around, let alone, all day.

Let me share some of our favorite photos…

Bad Hair Day
(Photo by Tess)

Monkey Love
(Photo by Lala)

OK… this next one is a bit gross but hey… everybody’s got to eat and Tess nailed it!  Due to the lack of reach with my lens, I also got it but had to crop the image to get the close-up impact and Tess’s lens gave a lovely background to this hungry pair.

It’s good to share!
(Photo by Tess)

I think one important thing we learned today is to try to get as close as possible to the animals, use a shallow depth of field to blur the background  and to show the animals doing  something.  It definitely makes for a more interesting photo.

Oh please…
(Photo by Lala)

And I love this next shot.  Tess caught this lion in mid-yawn but rather than looking like a yawn… it makes him look really fierce!

Beware!
(Photo by Tess)

Of course the crazy women always break for lunch and it was no different at the zoo.  But the shooting does not stop!  As we entered this eating area, we were taken by the ceiling decoration and couldn’t help but shoot it!

Sunset in the Desert
(Photo by Lala)

Life is Good
(Photo by Lala)

The Floating Leaf
(Photo by Tess)

After lunch we continued to shoot and chose to shoot some scenics as well as animals.  I particularly liked how Tess was able to isolate this leaf on the water.  I was able to shoot the reflections with my lens but was unable to isolate to this degree.

Autumn Reflections
(Photo by Lala)

White Tiger
(Photo by Tess)

All this shooting sure makes you thirsty!  And this is how the gorilla gets a drink!

Thirsty Gorilla
(Photo by Tess)

We hope you will be able to join us on our next trip to the Fort Worth Zoo.  There’s lots to shoot regardless of what lens you are using.  This last photo was one of my own personal favorites.

Tranquil Circles
(Photo by Lala)