Zoo Photography
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Posted 05/06/2010 - 02:01
Great link Stefan. They are superb images which really go beyond the obvious. Looks like a combination of visiting the zoo at the right time of day, choosing shooting angles which maximise the effects of backlighting, and some very skilled processing. I expect he is very good at previsualising what the raw material will end up like.
He has totally avoided the approach of 'ooh look, a giraffe' - click! 'ooh look, a water buffalo' - click! which I suffer from at the zoo.
[link=https://500px.com/will_brealey/[/link]
He has totally avoided the approach of 'ooh look, a giraffe' - click! 'ooh look, a water buffalo' - click! which I suffer from at the zoo.
[link=https://500px.com/will_brealey/[/link]
Last Edited by Pentaxophile on 05/06/2010 - 02:05
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Posted 05/06/2010 - 08:31
Inspirational photos to my mind - thanks Stefan for the link... makes me want to visit the zoo although I doubt I would end up with anything quite like this...
The last time I went to the zoo was in February on a bleak day but on the plus side the place was quite empty... Didn't get anything like this though...
Mat W
My Flickr: link
The last time I went to the zoo was in February on a bleak day but on the plus side the place was quite empty... Didn't get anything like this though... Mat W
My Flickr: link
Link
Posted 05/06/2010 - 09:00
Thank you guys, it's time to visit the zoo I believe 
Will you are certainly right, he waited 4 days from 9am to 5pm in front of the lion cage to capture the shot you see when you visit the link
Stefan
K10D, K5
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Will you are certainly right, he waited 4 days from 9am to 5pm in front of the lion cage to capture the shot you see when you visit the link
Stefan
K10D, K5
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Posted 05/06/2010 - 10:38
Thanks for the link they are excellent photos.
Sandy
Sandy
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Posted 05/06/2010 - 11:09
Great photos, loverly strong backlight on them.
Because I'm nerdy about these things, the few intact EXIF's show that his zoo pics are all shot at almost exactly the same setting regardless of animal or time - 560mm (FF shots)/400mm (APS shots), ISO 400, F/8 and 1/1000 - now I just stuck those values into my lightmeter, and I've got to be in the very strong sunshine we have today to get to that shutter speed. Yet he's made the pictures look they were shot in a dark studio. Interesting...
Still shooting in the dark (literally and metaphorically)...
Because I'm nerdy about these things, the few intact EXIF's show that his zoo pics are all shot at almost exactly the same setting regardless of animal or time - 560mm (FF shots)/400mm (APS shots), ISO 400, F/8 and 1/1000 - now I just stuck those values into my lightmeter, and I've got to be in the very strong sunshine we have today to get to that shutter speed. Yet he's made the pictures look they were shot in a dark studio. Interesting...
Still shooting in the dark (literally and metaphorically)...
Link
Posted 05/06/2010 - 12:35
Mr Ivanovic has done a great job. Strong compositions, strong directional lighting and lots of post processing! I really like what he's done.
Here's my effort. It's not the most interesting image in the world, but it didn't take much using a curves control to achieve a similar effect. I guess I could have dodged and burned specific areas too like Mr Ivanovic appears to have done on some of his images.
Matt
GX20; DA 17-70 F4; 18-55 kit; Ricoh 50mm F2; Vivitar 75-205mm F3.8
Here's my effort. It's not the most interesting image in the world, but it didn't take much using a curves control to achieve a similar effect. I guess I could have dodged and burned specific areas too like Mr Ivanovic appears to have done on some of his images.
Matt
GX20; DA 17-70 F4; 18-55 kit; Ricoh 50mm F2; Vivitar 75-205mm F3.8
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Posted 05/06/2010 - 15:43
Thank you for exploring the processing, like said lighting is very important I believe and Matt you come very close.
I think you need to underexpose your photos to get it precisely right, it will also darken the background a lot.
Stefan
K10D, K5
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AF-540FGZ
I think you need to underexpose your photos to get it precisely right, it will also darken the background a lot.
Stefan
K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ
Link
Posted 05/06/2010 - 16:33
The above photo was processed from the RAW at -2EV, plus I put a huge amount of extra contrast using curves to bring out the areas where the light hits the wolf.
Matt
GX20; DA 17-70 F4; 18-55 kit; Ricoh 50mm F2; Vivitar 75-205mm F3.8
Matt
GX20; DA 17-70 F4; 18-55 kit; Ricoh 50mm F2; Vivitar 75-205mm F3.8
Link
Posted 05/06/2010 - 16:43
I'm now behind my fathers PC, cheap LCD screen not calibrated and it indeed looks almost perfect but at home behind my calibrated CRT screen I could clearly see things in the background.
Stefan
K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ
Stefan
K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ
2 posts
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Posted 15/06/2010 - 15:57
Very interesting forum
I also find one of the photo magazines with this project and it does not say how he manage to make this photos- But it does say that he travel to 8 countries to get the shots some in eastern and western europe,I think in Canada and Mexico too, also says that he visited 17 zoos so far
So I wonder if Flossie is right than why did Mr.Ivanovich travel and used so much time and money
Could he just do this in local zoo and then finish everything in computer like it was suggested here?
I just think that there is more here than just simple pp in photoshop
Sonja
I also find one of the photo magazines with this project and it does not say how he manage to make this photos- But it does say that he travel to 8 countries to get the shots some in eastern and western europe,I think in Canada and Mexico too, also says that he visited 17 zoos so far
So I wonder if Flossie is right than why did Mr.Ivanovich travel and used so much time and money
Could he just do this in local zoo and then finish everything in computer like it was suggested here?
I just think that there is more here than just simple pp in photoshop
Sonja
Link
Posted 15/06/2010 - 16:31
Thank you Sonja.
It's in Silvershotz of these two months where I read about him.
It's a fine-art magazine and in those an artist never explains in details how they created a photo since that's never the purpose of those magazines.
From what I understand he is a freelance photographer and he did this project in between shoots, the locations are South Africa, Tanzania, Mexico, Serbia, Macedonian and Canada.
I think it's a matter of everything, a good photo with good processing.
Stefan
K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ
It's in Silvershotz of these two months where I read about him.
It's a fine-art magazine and in those an artist never explains in details how they created a photo since that's never the purpose of those magazines.
From what I understand he is a freelance photographer and he did this project in between shoots, the locations are South Africa, Tanzania, Mexico, Serbia, Macedonian and Canada.
I think it's a matter of everything, a good photo with good processing.
Stefan
K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ
Link
Posted 15/06/2010 - 16:34
How does he define zoo? Wildlife park? Seaworld?
He obviously has a better class of zoo than I do - a beluga whale for heavens sake! Cleaner glass than my local zoo has too.
I'm off to the zoo tomorrow morning since I have a season ticket and nothing else planned.
Must get to Blijdorp sometime too.
He obviously has a better class of zoo than I do - a beluga whale for heavens sake! Cleaner glass than my local zoo has too.
I'm off to the zoo tomorrow morning since I have a season ticket and nothing else planned.
Must get to Blijdorp sometime too.
Link
Posted 15/06/2010 - 16:51
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Anvh
Member
Dordrecht, the Netherlands
Do you think he get such photos with processing them or camera control?
I mean it's hard to get such a dark background with a good lighted animal.
Do some one else have some amazing zoo photos?
And how do your take your photos?
Stefan
K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ