thezootographer

Every Day’s a Good Hair Day With lee

One of the Denver Zoo’s most senior animal care staff members is a dude named Jim. From what some of the volunteers tell me, his hobbies outside of bears include Monty Python references and dad jokes. What I know is that if I see Jim walking around the zoo, I follow where he’s going; somethingContinue reading “Every Day’s a Good Hair Day With lee”

Groucho

Most zoos these days have some sort of behind the scenes experience. Denver Zoo calls them Up-Close Encounters. Of the 13 they offer, I’ve done nine at this point. They’re all good; they’re all absolutely worth doing. But there are two that I recommend above all others: The Flamingo encounter, and the Elephant encounter. AtContinue reading “Groucho”

The Cutest Little Dude in the Jungle

If you pass through Denver Zoo’s Emerald Forest habitat, you’re bound to come upon this little guy. Likely, you’ll overhear other guests commenting on his adorable mustache. Isn’t he cute!? Some of the things Denver Zoo volunteers get to help with are behavioral observations. When an animal gets a new roommate or is displaying stressContinue reading “The Cutest Little Dude in the Jungle”

Lil Bebe Lizard

Denver Zoo has had a lot of good luck in Komodo Dragon breeding. Last year, as an addition to their part of the Species Survival Plan, they got a trio of 9-month old babies from the Fort Worth Zoo. They were a big draw; Komodo Dragons are one of those animals like Red Pandas thatContinue reading “Lil Bebe Lizard”

A Whimsie Snack

Whimsie is about two and a half years old in this picture. Which – arguably – is well past the realm of baby. It’s just not hard to think of her as such, especially seeing her with big mama Tinga and giant dad Jim while they forage for some greens tactically placed by the careContinue reading “A Whimsie Snack”

Portraitkeet

If you want to get close to some animals that are relatively comfortable with humans, your local zoo’s bird experience is one of your best options. Denver’s lorikeets are incredibly colorful and incredibly friendly, especially if you arrive around opening time when they’re the most excited to see you. This one for instance is actuallyContinue reading “Portraitkeet”

Dirty Windows and Orangutans

Zoos are weird. I spend over 300 hours a year at zoos and they’re still weird. That fine line between conservation and exhibition, providing a better life and taking away wild freedom. it’s just… yeah. Weird. Part of how I reconcile that with my zoo photos is attempting to make them not look like theyContinue reading “Dirty Windows and Orangutans”

Just Gourdeous

I couldn’t recreate this shot if I wanted to. There’s something magical about this light that all the analysis in the world isn’t going to break down. There are some stray focus-blurred reflections in the plexiglass between me and the puppies that work with the focus blurs in the background to create something special thatContinue reading “Just Gourdeous”

Denver Zoo Free Day

One of my roles as a volunteer at the Denver Zoo is as a member of the Volunteer Photography Committee. Its main role is as a service providing images for the various stakeholders in the zoo. While a lot of it is your normal animal stuff, there’s also taking photos during special events. One ofContinue reading “Denver Zoo Free Day”

The 40 Year Old Mojo

Okay, he’d actually only just turned 9 at the time of this picture. But his face feels so much like the look of innocent joy on Steve Carell’s 40-Year Old virgin poster that I couldn’t resist. When people talk to me about camera gear (which happens a lot when you carry giant lenses around yourContinue reading “The 40 Year Old Mojo”