Home Forums Gear Photography Practice man, practice...shooting the zoo

When I think about getting better at photography the old joke always pops into my head. “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” “Practice man, practice”! I teach a lot of classes and workshops and the question always comes up when we are shooting wildlife as to how to get more practice without taking a “big” trip. My answer is usually telling them to go to a ranch or farm and practice on cows and horses. I get that look like I have completely lost my mind. I then tell them to go to the Zoo. It is not the plains of Africa or the meadows of Wyoming but it will help you to practice nailing exposure and working on composition. With the Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD lens having become as popular as it has, many folks purchased their first super telephoto lens. You need practice. Many Zoos allow photography as long as you aren’t using a tripod. My experiences with the VC, Vibration Compensation, of the Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD lens is that I can get some relatively slow exposures and still have sharpness if there isn’t a lot of movement by the subject. I have handheld to 1/60th of a second with great results. If you feel the need for some steadying assistance, talk with Camera Land about a monopod. I will turn off the VC on a tripod but will often leave it on with a monopod to compensate for any small movement I have with the lens and my shaky hands.

Going to a local Zoo often helps with the preservation of the animals as well, and the money goes to a good cause usually. There are lots of wildlife sanctuaries around too with similar situations or some preserves too. Either way it is a win-win for you and the location. Give Joel or Mark a call up at Camera Land to get your Tamron SP 150-600mm Di VC USD lens before the wildlife photography hits its peak this summer and fall so you can “practice man, practice”! Make sure you let them know you are a member of the Campfire for the best pricing possible as always.