The Zootographer

Serious Penguin Portrait

A very serious African Penguin encounter. 12/30/18. Pentax k-50, 35/2.4

Zoos have changed a lot since when I was a kid. One of the more common offerings these days that they have in order to raise funds and increase guest engagement are up-close encounters. In exchange for giving your local zoo a little extra financial support, you can feed a tiger, chat with animal care staff about elephants, or get up-close and personal with nature’s fanciest animals.

Anytime I’m doing something for myself at the zoo, I also make sure I’m looking for opportunities to support the organization with a shot or two for the volunteer photo committee. So in order help advertise these great animal experiences, I tried to get this nice portrait with some Denver Zoo branding in the background. Unfortunately, rules prevented me from leaving my seat, so I was shooting blind, aiming off of instinct rather than using the viewfinder. And another well-dressed buddy kept the logo blocked.

But really, I got to pet a penguin, and that’s all that really mattered.

Prowlin’ Cloud

Taji the Clouded Leopard at Denver Zoo. 7/5/18. Pentax k-50, Sigma 400/5.6

There are some pretty elusive animals at the Denver Zoo. Even in that setting, the animals that survive on their ability to hide are going to hide. The Clouded Leopard is one of those.

Most days that you get an opportunity to see Taji, he’s going to be in his perch box or napping in his hollowed out log. But if you get a chance to see him prowling, take it in. It’s a beautiful sight.

Denver Zoo Lights 2018

Zoo Lights at the Denver Zoo. 12/11/18. Pentax k-50, 35/2.4

One of the perks of being a volunteer at the Denver Zoo is that for each shift you do during zoo lights, you get a free pass. The other bonus is when one of your volunteer photo committee duties is getting some zoo lights photos, so you can sneak in before everyone else when the light is optimal and the place is empty.

The shot above was near the tail end of twilight. I hadn’t previewed the entirety of the light setups yet, otherwise I might have tried to get here a little bit earlier. I don’t know if it mattered though, because this shot was pure magic. Randomly being in the right place at the right time and knowing how to mxi the light to perfection. That little bit of crescent moon up in the top of frame was just a bonus.