The above isn’t a picture I’d normally share outside of instagram. Seen from a distance at web resolution, it looks like a real nice photo. Seen properly, it’s obvious that the camera hit focus on the back leg rather than the face. Great pose, great light, bad photo. This photo isn’t focused on what’s important.Continue reading “Focus on What Matters”
Tag Archives: 400/2.8
Nikon z6 Firmware 3.0
My first real camera was a Pentax k1000. My first real digital camera was a Pentax k20d. I later supplemented that with a k-50. Then I realized that my dream camera from over a decade ago could be had for 300 bucks and I made the switch to a Nikon D700. Then I played withContinue reading “Nikon z6 Firmware 3.0”
Punched in the Gut
Work’s been busy, and the trip to Houston reminded me that it’d been far too long since I’d visited my home Denver Zoo. So, upon returning home, I grabbed the 400 and took a trip on a snow day. Boy was it worth it. I got an okay wild dog portrait. I got Lisu, theContinue reading “Punched in the Gut”
Green Grass and Puppy Eyes
Two tips to talk about today. The first is a pretty obvious one: wait for the eyes. This shot would be okay if the dog was looking down at what he was munching on. What makes it great is that while he’s chewing, his eyes are on me. The second is the grass. That grassContinue reading “Green Grass and Puppy Eyes”
That For Which You Weren’t Looking
Buy a Print. I always carry my camera with me when I’m volunteering at the Denver Zoo. Usually, it’s for the animals who are part of the zoo. But when the morning light shines through a tree just right, a wild fox squirrel makes a pretty decent subject. The zoo is a pretty subject-rich environment.Continue reading “That For Which You Weren’t Looking”
Work the Light
Cloudy days are the best for photographing animals in natural light, but don’t let harsh afternoon sun stop you from trying. You just have to approach it differently. You’re not going to get beautiful evenly lit portraits, but you might get some nice dramatic effects if you can find the right spot. This kind ofContinue reading “Work the Light”
Trilogy
I was going to just copy paste the lyrics from Emerson Lake and Palmer’s “Trilogy” here, but I’d forgotten how depressing they are.
I Can Haz Fish?
There’s nothing I love more than seeing a member of the animal care staff near a habitat while visiting the zoo. Part of it is that I value my relationships with our care staff at the Denver Zoo, but even more is it means I’m probably about to get a good photo opportunity. In thisContinue reading “I Can Haz Fish?”
Yuri! Yuri! Yuri!
Over on the instagram, I shared a picture from my trip to the Riverside Discovery Center in Scottsbluff of their Amur Tiger. It was a beautiful shot that made me utterly lament that I still hadn’t gotten one quite as good of my tigers at home at the Denver Zoo. Well last weekend, I tookContinue reading “Yuri! Yuri! Yuri!”
The First Shot is Always the Best
Buy a print. If you’ve been shooting photos for even a brief amount of time, you probably remember the joy of seeing your first shot. Maybe you got a new DSLR or new lens and you remember the joy of the first shot you took with that new bit of equipment. Maybe you met aContinue reading “The First Shot is Always the Best”
The Zootographer 