Thank Goodness for Zoos!

Grand Slam Photography

I have become an avid zoo photographer. It is probably one of my favorite types of photography when you can get great photos from zoos that know how to treat their animals and have realistic environments for the animals.

Perhaps my favorite animals to photograph at the zoo are the Tigers...Here are a few recent shots of a Sumatran Tiger at the Louisville Zoo. I frequent the zoo quite often on my lunch break and sometime get lucky to get some great captures like these:









Please let me know what you think! I am considering getting some poster prints done of these for the family this year and would like to know which one you like best...I think it is definetly one of the last two but the first picture is just so cute!

Brian_S

nice pics, i love big cats
#1 is great with the eye contact, excpt for the fogging or something going on round the nose area, #3 is the next best one

PGM

I like #1 and #3 best. Do you know what is causing that fogginess in #1, or if it can be fixed with additional processing? It is such a cute shot. I like #3 better than #2 because I can see the tiger's eye better. Thanks for posting. Best, Pam

Grand Slam Photography

I believe that there was a leaf from one of the Bamboo Plants that blew into the frame causing the fogginess in the first photo. I may try to do some additional post-processing to see if I can sharpen that area and reduce the fog. I think I personally like the third picture the best as well. I do have a number of other Tiger photos that I have taken before as well. Here are a few of my others:

These two are of Amur Tigers at the Louisville Zoo...It took me all winter last year to finally get a couple good shots of these beautiful cats in the snow!




These three are of Sumatran Tigers also at the Louisville Zoo...






This one is of an Malayan Tiger at the Cincinnati Zoo...


As you can tell I LOVE to photograph Tigers. It is a shame that most zoos have inadequate exhibits for their Big Cats and you don't get to experience even a hint of what these magnificant animals are like in the wild. Please let me know what you think about these photos!

kithylin

#5 here in your second post... WOW that's awesome.

Grand Slam Photography

kithylin wrote: »

#5 here in your second post... WOW that's awesome.

THANKS!

Yes that is probably my favorite photo I have ever taken. I would love to eventually get that photo published as I feel it is definetly a high enough quality that it deserves publication. That image is straight out of the camera as well with no post-processing.

I took that image last year and got 11"x14" metallic prints made for everyone in the family! If you think it looks good on the screen you ought to see it as a metallic print! WOW!

I tell all of my friends that ask how I take such great pictures that I am just VERY lucky. I think photography, especially with animals, is about 85% luck and 15% skill.

Brian_S

definitely the last 2
#6 again is great with the eye contact, cropped just a bit too tight cutting off the ears but still great with the front paw upside down, #6 is great also, nice and sharp too, looks like a tiger on a mission in that shot, the rest are also nice

Grand Slam Photography

Brian_S wrote: »

definitely the last 2
#6 again is great with the eye contact, cropped just a bit too tight cutting off the ears but still great with the front paw upside down, #6 is great also, nice and sharp too, looks like a tiger on a mission in that shot, the rest are also nice

Thanks!