The Zoo

I was inspired by this post on iheartfaces and when I got my zoo membership, had to go try it out.

I was using a Nikon D3100 DSLR with a 70-200 mm lens.  It was super busy (Memorial Day Weekend) and on the warm side with quite a bit of sun.  Most of the animals were being lazy, with a few moving around.  The spider monkeys were going crazy, the chimps were walking around and the goats in the petting zoo were trying to decide between being loved by the kids and not being tortured by them.

I had both girls with me and no helpers, so it was tricky to be both a photographer and a mom.  But I had a lot of fun.  It was my first real chance to use my new lens.  I am excited for an opportunity to go back when it's less busy and maybe with a helper and look at different animals.  (Because it was late in the day when we went and really busy, we didn't get around to everything.  We spent a lot of time at the children's zoo and didn't do much else - I'd love to go back and look at the elephants and some of the other large cats.

At any rate ... here are some of my more favorite photos.  I'm also practicing my photo editing skills.  I have a hard time knowing what needs to be fixed, so I usually just crop it and call it a day.  I played around a little bit more to get some different effects with my photos this time.  I am showing edited followed by SOOC.  Enjoy.

Tiger - Edit

Tiger - SOOC

Audrey watching Bird - SOOC

Chimp - Edit

Chimp - SOOC

Audrey looking through turtle shell - SOOC

Audrey climbing through shell - edit

Audrey climbing through shell - SOOC

Audrey watching tortoise - edit

Audrey watching tortoise - SOOC

watching Lemur - edit

watching Lemur - SOOC

alligator - edit

alligator - SOOC

watching turtle - edit

watching turtle - edit

Ants in sidewalk - edit

Ants in sidewalk - SOOC

Alligator on land - edit

Alligator on land - SOOC

Sun bears eating  - SOOC
(I could NOT figure out how to get a good image for them.  They were off to the side and very close and the sun hit only half of them.  I just couldn't figure out how to shoot them; but was pleased enough with the images I got to display them.)