A small but enthusiastic group of animal photographers had a very enjoyable day at the zoo. Being new club members, this was our first field trip and gave us the opportunity to get to know other members. The group included Sandy and Rick Carter, Graham McAuslande, Brian Dedman, Jack Regter, Diana Maddeford and Craig Field (apologies if we have left anyone out).
Adelaide Zoo is Australia’s second oldest zoo. The zoo has many outstanding exhibits, but in certain areas the zoo’s age does show. However, 20 million dollars has been allocated to build a brand new facility to house two Giant Pandas arriving from China next year. This will be a huge attraction, and a good reason for a return field trip (Sandy take note). The $20 entrance fee is a small price to pay for such great photographic opportunities, and making a contribution towards the zoo’s research and conservation program is a very worthwhile thing to do.
Most of the photographers came well prepared with medium to long-focus lenses. Some very sensibly mounted onto either a tri-pod or mono-pod. Typical of any sort of animal photography, taking photos at the zoo does come with its frustrations. You can’t always be confronted by energetic and active animals, especially in the middle of the day. The Sumatran Tiger was a good example of ‘cats just being cats’ – he was having a sleep in the midday sun. The only end we saw of the tiger was the rear, not very photogenic!
One of the exhibits that we enjoyed the most was the ‘Rainforest Wetlands walk-through Aviary’. This offers a fantastic opportunity to take photos of rainforest birds in an almost natural habitat. As we are keen bird photographers we could have stayed there all day. The variety of birds included Eclectus Parrots, King Parrots, Kingfishers, Star Finches and Royal Spoonbills, just to name a few. But the highlight for us was watching the Satin Bower bird add a few extra twigs to his bower – it is an amazing structure created by an equally amazing bird!
Of course, zoo photography is handicapped by some animals being kept behind wire cages. But interestingly, even the shots of the lions came out well. By using a long lens with a wide aperture, achieving a shallow depth of field - not only can you throw the background out of focus, but the wire in front also becomes unnoticeable. The two lionesses were very cooperative, sitting in upright poses, looking at ease and even yawning for the camera.
What puts a smile on a crocodile? One of the most energetic of the animals was the male crocodile being amorous with his mate. A fascinating subject for the photographers, and also for the turtle looking on!
Visiting Adelaide zoo makes an excellent field trip. It is good to hone our skills in animal photography, and great to get to know our fellow club members. With many thanks to Sandy, for organising such a successful day out.
Written by Gary and Michele Sawyer
(see the October newsletter for photos)
