On The Look Out

[Tom]

For the past couple of months I've found it difficult to find any motivation or inspiration to be bothered to go out with the camera. I forced myself out a weekend ago and biked it up to London Zoo; hadn't been since I took my children there twenty years ago.
What a depressing place to be and I could only think what it must be like for the residents.
Most of the shots I took all day were rubbish so I salvaged two of the more acceptable ones. I left the zoo pretty soon and dropped into Hyde Park on the way home and took a couple there.
I'll post the two best ones for critique.

Here's one

[lumix]

Re: On The Look Out

For the past couple of months I've found it difficult to find any motivation or inspiration to be bothered to go out with the camera. I forced myself out a weekend ago and biked it up to London Zoo; hadn't been since I took my children there twenty years ago.
What a depressing place to be and I could only think what it must be like for the residents.
Most of the shots I took all day were rubbish so I salvaged two of the more acceptable ones. I left the zoo pretty soon and dropped into Hyde Park on the way home and took a couple there.
I'll post the two best ones for critique.

Here's one

Tom this is a great picture of the cats. I have a compulsion to edit other peoples photo's so here I go again. Hope you don't mind. The composition just looks better this way to me.

[coupekid]

Re: On The Look Out

For the past couple of months I've found it difficult to find any motivation or inspiration to be bothered to go out with the camera. I forced myself out a weekend ago and biked it up to London Zoo; hadn't been since I took my children there twenty years ago.
What a depressing place to be and I could only think what it must be like for the residents.
Most of the shots I took all day were rubbish so I salvaged two of the more acceptable ones. I left the zoo pretty soon and dropped into Hyde Park on the way home and took a couple there.
I'll post the two best ones for critique.

Here's one

What a super shot Tom! I love it!

I dont know enough about London Zoo to comment on what it is like.
I would be intereted in you expanding as to what what you thought of the place though.

However, somewhere that is an excellent example of how animals should be treated, which I can highly recomend Whipsnade Zoo. Super super place! I wont hijack your thread with shots I have managed to get there, but suffice to say its a photographers heaven, especially as you can take the car/bike in too.
If you really want to warm your camera up, and get back into it, The Hawk Conservancy is another place.

I really like the capture you have here, really shows what meerkats are all about. I love that you have managed to capture the little catch lights in the eye too.

I really like what Ron has done to the composition, taking the meerkats off centre has improved an already good shot, it looks like Ron has also tweeked the colours very slightly, improve it further.

I hope you will post more than one other!

Cheers Ben

[lumix]

Re: On The Look Out

Ben it was just a straight crop. The colour just looks better with less background.

[Autumn]

Re: On The Look Out

Lovely lighting and picture Tom.

[Tinka]

Re: On The Look Out

Great capture Tom, Lighting and detail super.

[Tom]

Re: On The Look Out

Lumix; I think your crop is spot on and improvis the image no end.
Autumn and Tinka; Many thanks and I'm glad you like the shot.
Ben; Thanks to you for your great interest and I know you are a great lover of animals.
I don't deserve a lot of credit for the shot of the little cats as they were easy targets and all I had to do was aim for reasonable exposure and timing.
Lots of horrific things have happened to the Gorrilas in the wild just recently with some very disturbing photographs in the press. Animals in captivity are there because of us. Creatures in the wild are disappearing because of us.
I thought the gorilla paddock in London Zoo was pathetic with a few ropes and ladders thrown in to make them feel at home. Similarily a tiger sleeping through the afternoon behind a pane of glass, illuminated by camera flashes; the giraffes with barely enough room to stretch their legs. It's a sad world no doubt. As I said it has been years since I had been to a zoo and was not expecting to feel as I did when I came out of it.
Hope that helps to explain Ben.
Tom

[lumix]

Re: On The Look Out

Lumix; I think your crop is spot on and improvis the image no end.
Autumn and Tinka; Many thanks and I'm glad you like the shot.
Ben; Thanks to you for your great interest and I know you are a great lover of animals.
I don't deserve a lot of credit for the shot of the little cats as they were easy targets and all I had to do was aim for reasonable exposure and timing.
Lots of horrific things have happened to the Gorrilas in the wild just recently with some very disturbing photographs in the press. Animals in captivity are there because of us. Creatures in the wild are disappearing because of us.
I thought the gorilla paddock in London Zoo was pathetic with a few ropes and ladders thrown in to make them feel at home. Similarily a tiger sleeping through the afternoon behind a pane of glass, illuminated by camera flashes; the giraffes with barely enough room to stretch their legs. It's a sad world no doubt. As I said it has been years since I had been to a zoo and was not expecting to feel as I did when I came out of it.
Hope that helps to explain Ben.
Tom

I'm glad you liked it Tom. With regard to your feelings about London Zoo, or indeed any Zoo, I agree. I know they say they have breeding programmes etc etc but I do wish they would close them all down. If we want to save these animals we need to protect their natural surroundings from the Human Race, I'm sure nature would then do the rest.

[Pops]

Re: On The Look Out

I wonder if your 'Rubbish Shots' were down to your state of mind about the surroundings in general.
I think this shot is super and these guys always make me smile with their inquisitive expressions

[coupekid]

Re: On The Look Out

I'm glad you liked it Tom. With regard to your feelings about London Zoo, or indeed any Zoo, I agree. I know they say they have breeding programmes etc etc but I do wish they would close them all down. If we want to save these animals we need to protect their natural surroundings from the Human Race, I'm sure nature would then do the rest.

As everyone knows, I am an animal lover, and in an ideal world, I would totally agree with shutting down all animal enclosures of every kind. However, sadly we dont! Therefore places such as the hawk conservancy and Whipsnade zoo are a necesaty to the education, rehabilitation, and re-introduction of species.

Take for example my big cat photos, these were taken at the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent. This place rescues big cats from zoo's, and individuals who have inapprioriatly kept these magnificent creatures as pets.

The Hawk Conservancy has played a big part in the re-introduction of Red Kites etc in the surrounding areas.

So some places play a huge part in re-setting the balance already upset by us thoughtless humans. By visiting these places, you are helping fund these programs. Sadly, if you are of the attitude of that places like this shouldnt exist, and encourage people not to visit, that may well cause the demise of certain species.

The places also go a long way to educate people. I am sure like me, if it werent for zoo's and safari parks, you may not have seen such beautiful animals for real, only on tv, and maybe not have such a respect for them.

Of course, as I have said before, I can not comment on London Zoo specifically as I have not been. I am speaking for the places that I have visited, and I would never condone mistreating any animal, even for the reason I have outlined. But I know that the places I have been to, ALWAYS put the animals first, and the visitors second.

[Tom]

Re: On The Look Out

As everyone knows, I am an animal lover, and in an ideal world, I would totally agree with shutting down all animal enclosures of every kind. However, sadly we dont! Therefore places such as the hawk conservancy and Whipsnade zoo are a necesaty to the education, rehabilitation, and re-introduction of species.

Take for example my big cat photos, these were taken at the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent. This place rescues big cats from zoo's, and individuals who have inapprioriatly kept these magnificent creatures as pets.

The Hawk Conservancy has played a big part in the re-introduction of Red Kites etc in the surrounding areas.

So some places play a huge part in re-setting the balance already upset by us thoughtless humans. By visiting these places, you are helping fund these programs. Sadly, if you are of the attitude of that places like this shouldnt exist, and encourage people not to visit, that may well cause the demise of certain species.

The places also go a long way to educate people. I am sure like me, if it werent for zoo's and safari parks, you may not have seen such beautiful animals for real, only on tv, and maybe not have such a respect for them.

Of course, as I have said before, I can not comment on London Zoo specifically as I have not been. I am speaking for the places that I have visited, and I would never condone mistreating any animal, even for the reason I have outlined. But I know that the places I have been to, ALWAYS put the animals first, and the visitors second.

Hello Ben
Personally I agree with lots of what you are saying but perhaps this is not the place or forum to continue with this debate. Somewhere else perhaps?

[Jocelyn Walker]

Re: On The Look Out

I dislike zoos myself, but I still go occassionaly. I agree that if it weren't for zoos, many people, especially the younger generations would never know what these animals look like, except for what they see on TV & movies. Not only that, proximity to the animals...the smells...foul or not...is far different to couch viewing! I dislike zoos because they are wild animals that should be in the wide open plains or forests of the world! Coming from Africa, zoos depress me too, so I understand that! At least though, for the photographer, its great to be able to visit places where we are assured of getting some pics! Meerkats are very photogenic little creatures!

[Tom]

Re: On The Look Out

Jocelyn and Pops; Many thanks for taking the time and I'm happy you like the image of these little chaps.