Zoo animal portraits with the 500

[FlyingSquirrel]

Well guys, it's been a while again since I've shared anything on CiC...have been very busy with life...but I've missed you all and finally have found the time to put together a thread...

I've had my Canon 500mm f4 IS II for about half a year so far (and have not got as much use out of it as I should have), but anyway I thought it would be "fun " to lug the white beast over to the local Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle, WA). I figured I'd get some nice, fun shots of animals from a distance, and some portraits.

I wanted to bring my 2nd 7D camera body with the 70-200 f4l IS, but I decided it would be too much hassle to carry, work with, and not get it broken or stolen. As far as support, I've tried a monopod with the 500mm once before, and I hated it, but I decided to give it another try, since a tripod at the zoo is a recipe for many a disaster. So, I ventured out with just one 7D, the 500mm, and a monopod. My monopod and the head on it are beefy enough to be very sturdy with that rig, in case you were wondering.

A couple quick notes on some zoo challenges:

1. To deter pickpockets (who are quite prevalent in crowded areas with bustling activity where people are bumping into each other a lot, e.g. zoos), I locked the zippers together on my photo backpack with some of those small suitcase locks. I also kept a strong hold of my camera gear, and wore the 500mm's neck strap as a precaution against grab and runs.

2. The other challenge is crowds, and children. The zoo gets rather crowded, especially on weekends. Kids are all over the place crawling over things and screaming, doing what kids do, and not paying attention to anything but that awesome animal in front of them The monopod was helpful in avoiding tripping or breakage incidents, compared to a tripod. Overall, I stayed vigilant and aware of what was happening around me, to the best of my ability during shooting.

When walking around with the 500mm, I held the camera and lens in front and/or slightly to the side of me (with neck strap on), and kept the lens pointed downward at all times. Many times, just to be safe, or when walking a longer distance or in crowded areas, I put the lens hood hoodie cap on.

Oh yeah, and one more thing: I have insurance which covers most of my gear. IMO, a must if you have any significantly costly equipment (like a $10K lens). Despite insurance, I am always very cautious, anyway.

Moving on to the actual shooting of subjects, I was surprised that the animals were so close most of the time. I'd not been to the zoo in longer than I can recall; probably like 15 years. From memory of all those years ago, things seemed far away and the space seemed huge. In person on this trip, being older, everything seemed very cramped and up close. As it turns out, the 500mm on a crop sensor was far too powerful for the majority of animal shots there. There was also a lot of dirty glass, fences, and things I didn't care to try shooting through or at. However, there were some animals in larger exhibits at a distance, which allowed me to get some portraits, which is really what I wanted anyway. I'll be back with my 70-200 and 1.4 extender, instead of the 500, for far greater framing and subject options. Nevertheless, I had so much fun, and the shots I got are making me want more, that I decided I am going to join the zoo as a member so I can go back unlimited times.

Going back to the monopod, it was the perfect support setup for the zoo. It can be awkward at times, with a huge rig attached, but I started to get used to it. For one thing, it allowed me to get a number of shots I would not have been able to get if I were hand-holding the lens. It also took the rig weight off my arms so I could shoot all day with no problems, whereas hand-held I would have had to rest very often. So, I was pleased with the monopod on this trip, and will use it again for the zoo and similar situations. The main issue is getting used to carrying the huge rig with the monopod attached (some people sling the monopod and camera over their shoulder, but there is no way I am going to do that with the 500mm). There are a number of ways to do it. Most of the time I collapsed the monopod to a shorter length when walking, and held on to the lens foot to bear the weight of everything, as I would if I were just carrying the rig handheld.

So, here are the best of the zoo animal portraits. All shot with Canon 7D | Canon 500mm f4 IS II | Monopod

Thanks for looking, and please view full size.

White-tailed Trogon - ISO 1600 - f/5.0 - 1/80th - Challenging shot. Low light jungle aviary (hot and humid! good thing it was a sealed L lens). Had to shoot with wider aperture, slower shutter than I'd like, since I was already at ISO 1600 which is the max I will use on a 7D. Out of a number of shots, this is the only one that had the DOF where it needed to be. At 100% the shot is slightly soft, but I think it looks OK otherwise.



Steller's Sea Eagle - ISO 1250 - f/6.3 - 1/125th - One of the most magnificent animals I've ever had the privilege to behold. Unfortunately, there was a chainlink fence in the background, which I had to remove in post processing.



Spur-Winged Goose - ISO 1000 - f/7.1 - 1/800th - This fellow was mixed in with some common mallards who had infiltrated the African Savannah exhibit, and he had his head tucked under a wing, overlooked by most people. When it popped its head up, I realized it was something special and snapped some photos. Later, I discovered that it is an African species.



Flamingo - ISO 1250 - f/8 - 1/1000th - These guys were very cool, and very close. They were moving a lot, so it was a challenge to get shots, and the background was hit or miss. I would probably prefer that the neck not be cut off on the left of the frame, but I still think it works as a portrait of the head.



Patas Monkey - ISO 1000 - f/7.1 - 1/500th - This cutey was sitting on a boulder, just relaxing the afternoon away. It looked very lost in thought for much of the time, staring into the distance with a contemplative gaze. I was thrilled with how close it was, and how far the bg was, creating that nice smooth separation. Luckily the monkey decided to check me out, and that is when I grabbed this eye contact shot.



Sloth Bear - ISO 1250 - f/8 - 1/200th - This guy was a pain in the neck! He was all over the place, walking, playing, in and out of caves, shade to sun, between trees...he had me all over the place left and right. I never got the shots I wanted, and this one was quite noisy in the shadows, and is a hard crop, too. I still like it though.



Giraffe - ISO 1000 - f/7.1 - 1/800th - A few of these were walking around in the Savannah, eating out of trees. One of them decided to gallop away- it was pretty impressive to see such a creature running. Everyone watching, all at the same time, said "wooooooooooaaaahhhhhh"



Elephant - ISO 1000 - f/9 - 1/400th - Too close, couldn't get much more in the frame. I shot a lot of detail shots of the skin, ears, and so forth, which I really like. I would have liked this shot more if the eye was visible, as it looks rather 'sad.' However, I like the image and thought I'd share.

[Johann Schutte]

Excellent, excellent shots! The detail is astounding. Would you mind sending me a full size crop (in max quality jpg) of the elephant's eye?

[deetheturk]

Matt, fantastic images along with some great tips for any of us going Zoo shooting! Thanks for sharing bud, very well captured.

David...

[jamn4ex]

Beautiful Matt. A well done series, my favorite is the sea Eagle & the elephant. One of these days I will rent one of those big lenses.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Thanks guys, glad you liked it. Johann, can you please explain why you want me to send you a high quality crop of the eye? I would need to know what you are going to do with it. Thanks

[Shadowman]

Regarding venturing out, I made the mistake once of going out with only one lens, usually it's minimum of two; even if it's only the 18-55mm kit and one of my other favorites.

Regarding using support, I rarely use one but have lately started taking the monopod and I find that sitting while using is very helpful; much better at bracing while sitting than standing.

Nice set of images, I think by limiting yourself to one focal length you've captured some unique (at least based on personal style) angles that should inspire you to want to return with other lenses.

[Mike Buckley]

Well done, Matt! The color and texture of the elephant make that one my favorite.

[bnnrcn]

Great shots Matt. They are all nice, I loved the last two

[FlyingSquirrel]

Thanks a lot everyone! Glad you enjoyed. I look forward to another trip to the zoo soon, and to share more pics

[chauncey]

Matt, those give new meaning to the term "head shots"...they is beyond great.

[NorthernFocus]

Nice set, Matt. They're all well done both technically and compositionally. I like the elephant shot. I agree their eyes look sad. I didn't see in your post whether you had VR on or not.

When using the monopod, one thing that I find handy is to have it mounted with a quick release plate and have a carabiner snap on the monopod. Then you can quickly fold it up, disconnect from the lens foot, and hang the monopod on your belt. Another thing I do when shooting moose during the rut is to use a rifle rest on the monopod rather than a tripod/monopod head. The rifle rest is just a rubber vee shaped attachment on top of the pod. You simply rest the camera on it like you would a rifle when shooting. When moving then you simply carry the camera by the lens foot or strapped and use the pod as a walking stick or fold it if you prefer. Also if you need to move in a hurry you can just drop the monopod and go. Works good for birds too. You can simply lift the camera and swing to shoot handheld BIF and let the pod drop to the ground.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Nice set, Matt. They're all well done both technically and compositionally. I like the elephant shot. I agree their eyes look sad. I didn't see in your post whether you had VR on or not.

Thanks, Dan. Good question- yes, I used the lens IS on all shots. There are 3 IS modes on the newer canon super-telephotos. I used mode 3 all day. "Set it, and forget it" I hadn't shot with the lens in so long, I forgot to use the focus limiter switch (not that it was really needed for these). I LOVE LOVE LOVE this lens!!!

When using the monopod, one thing that I find handy is to have it mounted with a quick release plate and have a carabiner snap on the monopod. Then you can quickly fold it up, disconnect from the lens foot, and hang the monopod on your belt.

I have an arca plate lens foot replacement (it's the RRS one) which goes into the monopod clamp. I do not like the knob lock clamp on the monopod, though. I would much prefer a lever release clamp head, but that can get expensive (especially if you buy quality like RRS, which I tend to do). Now you have me thinking about it again though [...goes off to research lever release clamp monopod heads....]

Another thing I do when shooting moose during the rut is to use a rifle rest on the monopod rather than a tripod/monopod head. The rifle rest is just a rubber vee shaped attachment on top of the pod. You simply rest the camera on it like you would a rifle when shooting. When moving then you simply carry the camera by the lens foot or strapped and use the pod as a walking stick or fold it if you prefer.... Works good for birds too. You can simply lift the camera and swing to shoot handheld BIF and let the pod drop to the ground.

Sounds interesting...I would probably forget that it's not attached and let go...of the camera.....

Also if you need to move in a hurry you can just drop the monopod and go.

Dan, that is CLASSIC! Spoken like a seasoned wildlife photographer