Exotic Split Canvas

Just about everyone would love to have a split canvas of an exotic animal that they could say they photographed themselves out in the wild. Not everyone, however, has the opportunity or means to travel to the locations to take such photographs. So, if you’re like me and you have yet to save up the money for that trip to Africa, try checking out your local zoo in the mean time. A zoo trip won’t satisfy your lust for the real thing but it will get you moving in the right direction. The first step to obtaining great zoo photographs is to visit your favorite zoo in the "off-season." The best times are April to May and September to October, when the weather is still nice (depending on the location of course) and the kids are back in school. You should also make an effort to get there early to beat the crowds (there could still be field trips taking place), or late to catch the good sunset lighting. Another opportune occasion would be feeding time (most zoos advertise the feeding times in front of the specific exhibit). The next important step when taking zoo photographs is to make sure the animal in the photo looks as natural as possible. This includes the animal's surroundings, which can be a hard task since most zoos keep a lot of the animals in concrete pens or behind chain link fences. Just in case you're wondering, concrete and fences are not commonly found in the wild. A good way to get around this issue