I’ve seen some big ol’ softboxes in my time. 72″ octoboxes, 80″ stripboxes. But none of them hold a candle to an overcast sky. A nice moderate layer of clouds that takes the sun’s harsh, directed 120,000 lux and turns it into a beautiful, evenly distributed 10,000 lux. DeBrazza’s monkeys, despite being incredibly handsome, haveContinue reading “God’s Softbox”
Tag Archives: Mammalia
The Rarest of the Rare
I’ve been to a good number of zoos. More than most, I’d venture to say, but not nearly as many as some. There are habitats at every zoo that are special. The animals that call them home have their own personalities, and those personalities include a general preference for seclusion. This is one of thoseContinue reading “The Rarest of the Rare”
Wake Me Up Later
I can relate heavily to this cutie right now. Having just returned from a five day vacation from work, time spent visiting the Dallas and Fort Worth zoos, I really do just want to pull something over my head and go back to sleep. Despite my recent acquisition of a 400/2.8, I still took theContinue reading “Wake Me Up Later”
Morning Light
Part of my volunteer duties at the Denver Zoo is showing up at the crack of dawn twice a month to help prepare animal diets. I always have my camera on me, just in case I want to do some shooting afterward, but this time I couldn’t help but pull it out on my wayContinue reading “Morning Light”
This one’s For Cliff
This is Cliff. You unfortunately can’t see him in person anymore, but he was a handsome old man who really brought some majesty to the concrete forms of Denver Zoo’s Sheep Mountain. Back when I got out of high school, I supported myself though photography and a jazz trio I ran. I did a fairContinue reading “This one’s For Cliff”
Nap Time
The days that most people consider to be good weather days for the zoo are not good days for photographing. The number of clouds in the sky and the amount of contrasty bad light are inversely proportional. There are a couple ways to work with it, though. Look for spots where you can turn thatContinue reading “Nap Time”
It’s a Frame Job
Buy a Print. Was driving through Arsenal, late evening, very overcast. Dark enough that we’re looking at f/2.8 at 8000 iso. I catch mama and bebe to my right through the passenger window. I turn around to get them on the good side. Mama knows what’s up; some looky-loo with a big lens wanting toContinue reading “It’s a Frame Job”
Treetop Chanting
Hey, why’s it a black howler monkey if it’s not black!? Two reasons: Much like how female white-cheeked gibbons are really just white gibbons, female black howlers never actually turn black. I’m not 100% certain on the identification; it might not be a black howler, but everything I can find on Omaha’s Lied Jungle onlyContinue reading “Treetop Chanting”
A Day That Shouldn’t Have Been
Buy a print here. My trip to Arsenal today had no right to be as good as it was. I had planned on an early trip to the Denver Zoo, but a late night at work left me sleeping in until 1400. Woke up, had some breakfast, and decided to go to the Rocky MountainContinue reading “A Day That Shouldn’t Have Been”
What’s Wrong and What’s Right?
I keep this shot on my main portfolio page for the Omaha Zoo. And at very first glance, that might be a questionable decision. There’s a fair number of things that are “wrong” with this image. The out of focus fencepost in the back is a little distracting. Not all three of the cheetahs areContinue reading “What’s Wrong and What’s Right?”
The Zootographer 