Animals to the rescue

This is another period with a lot of work, and as a result way too little time to go out and shoot new material… And so, for your pleasure and entertainment, I will serve you a few pictures from my recent passage through the Antwerp Zoo.

Taking a nap on a sunny afternoon

Step-by-step

High and dry
 Who will clean up this mess?

Gear notes: D700, 70-300VR

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Hello birdie!

Last Saturday’s shooting trip took me to a nearby castle ruins (for the locals: Ter Elst in Duffel). In the basement I found a setting that looked promising: the broad dynamic range of the light would be perfect for another HDR trial. I set up the camera on a tripod, moved some pieces of litter out of the frame, and shot the usual –2EV, 0EV, +2EV exposure sequence to later feed into Photomatix Pro.

Already while shooting, I realized that the lighting of this scene was lacking ‘something’. I decided to try adding interest to the pile of branches below right. Not entirely by coincidence, I had packed a hotshoe flash. I put a full CTO gel on it (to simulate fire), added a radio trigger, and slid it inbetween the branches.
As I was busy going back and forth, firing some test shots and adjusting the position of the flash, this curious visitor stopped by.


At first, I did not want to move much. All I could do was zoom in to the maximum and grab a couple of ‘closer-up’ frames… But the dove seemed unperturbed by whatever I was doing in there, so I got back to business and continued my experimenting.

And then in one of the shots in a bracketing series, it happened!


This is the kind of fortunate situation you cannot plan for: you only hit it when you’re really lucky (and try often enough). It also meant the end of my shooting in the basement: rather difficult to beat the magic of that moment!

Gear notes: D700, 24-70/2.8

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Meet the cats

You can’t return from a trip to a zoo or animal park without some shots of the Big Cats… Hence this portrait collection from my recent visit to the Balen-Olmen zoo.

On that cold and somber day, only a few of them ventured outdoors, and let’s just say there wasn’t all that activity to see. Waiting to see them positioned against a background clear of wire fences was not always an available option…

Gear notes: D300, 70-300VR

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A horse with a name

When I take my usual walk along the fields in my neighborhood, I pass by this patch of land that is home to two fine horses. Most of the time they are just grazing, completely ignoring any passer-by. Once in a while they are more curious and will come to see what that funny creature behind the barbed wire is all about.

On a cold but sunny afternoon

Not long ago, when the fields were still covered by snow, I managed to get their attention long enough to shoot their portraits. My 180mm f/2.8 prime was just perfect for the job.

Micky kept a reasonable distance, as usual. An overcast sky and the snow blanket on the ground produced great soft lighting.

Freggle, always more intrigued by what’s happening, let me capture this great shot. No, I did not bring along a black backdrop, nor did I manipulate the picture in Photoshop.
Freggle gracefully posed right in the ‘doorway’ of their small shed.

Freggle, keeping a keen eye on the photographer

How do I know the horses’ names? Quite simple: that information is to be found on the side wall of the shelter. It also lists dates for a companion that – I guess - sadly is no longer around…

How often do you run into animals that come with EXIF data?

Gear notes: D700, 180/2.8, 28-200G

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Birds behind bars

A few simple pictures from a recent shooting day with the friends at Belgiumdigital. This time, we met at a small but well populated zoo in Balen-Olmen, in the north of Belgium. Our visit clearly came too early in the year to enjoy friendly weather conditions, so many of the animals were wisely held inside. Still, we just ignored the chill and went on for a couple of hours trotting through an almost deserted park.

These grey crowned cranes were quite approachable and did not seem to mind posing for the many shooters all around them.

We had a lot more work trying to shoot some birds of prey, struggling with adverse lighting conditions and fighting the mesh enclosures of their cages with long focal lengths and wide apertures… But who ever said we didn’t like a good challenge?

A place for sure to visit again when warmer air and sunny skies bring more of the residents out in the open!

Gear notes: D700, 70-200VR

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Perfect models

Have you ever been looking for the ideal environment to develop and refine your photo skills? I found my perfect training ground at the Planckendael animal park, near Mechelen, not too far from where I live. This 'extension' of the Antwerp Zoo used to house breeding programs and animals that were old or recovering from illness; by now it has been developed into an extensive collection of interesting species, all enjoying spacious habitats. The abundance and variety of animals and vegetation offers lots of subjects to challenge your composition, focusing and lighting techniques. And no fuss about privacy or publication rights with these models!


This fellow is great for testing your patience and determination. To begin, you will find him sleeping high on a branch most of the time. Or when he's awake, he will turn his back to you and just sit there quietly for hours. If however you understand his activity pattern and know his feeding times (hint: ask the caretakers!) you may have a better chance - that is, if he's not hiding just behind that greasy spot on the thick glass of the cage... So a dose of luck, good timing and quick reaction, and a shallow depth-of-field may get you a koala shot like the one above.


No need for endless patience with this one: Oriental Small-clawed Otters are busy and nervous creatures, swirling around in small packs, always on the lookout for danger - and for food! They move fast and hardly ever sit still, and definitely will challenge your timing and focusing skills. You will be easily rewarded though as they are playful and take on charming poses...


He's seen it all, nothing left to surprise him... But don't be fooled: the eyes follow every bit of movement through the wire fence. The use of a long focal length combined with a large aperture makes the enclosure almost invisible.

Gear notes: D300, 70-200/2.8VR, TC-14E II

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Birdie

I have no experience whatsoever with decent bird photography. I have read about it and enjoyed many great shots by the pros, and I realize how difficult this discipline really is.

So when this weekend, out on a group shooting day at a 'safari park' in the south of the Netherlands, we decided to give it a try during a public show featuring various birds of prey, I had little hope to hit a keeper. I guess I got very very lucky...

This bald eagle youngster came rushing by, only a few meters away, over the heads of the audience. If you (rightfully) doubt about my knowledge of species, know that these eagles don't get their typical white feathers until they reach adulthood.

I stand quite impressed by the focus tracking performance of my camera! As for getting detail into the bird's body against a solid overcast sky: another testimonial to the virtues of shooting RAW.

I brought back more than enough absolute missers to keep my expectations down where they belong. But I do know that I will challenge my (beginner's?) luck again at the next opportunity!

Gear notes: D700, 70-200/2.8VR with TC-14EII

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