wildlife in captivity
I find it very difficult to judge or comment on wildlife shots presented as wild life when the shots presented are of animals photographed in captivity.The difference in the conflicting environments of the shots presented,the sence of being wild or in captivity screem out at any photographer that actually captures wildlife in the wild.Maybe a Zoo shot catorgary is in order.Personally as a value that zoo,s may have they are by no means a substitute for the real thing.
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maspick
@frank I have photographed wolves, bison, bears, deer, and a wide variety of birds in the wild. I know what it's like to spend time and money to reach a destination, followed by hours and maybe days waiting for the shot. I don't JUST shoot in zoos. When at a zoo, of which I have 5 within 4 hours of driving, I am presented the opportunity to capture images of animals not available in the wild here, especially the big cats like lions and primates like gorillas. My challenge is to capture them in ways that appear natural DESPITE their captivity and I believe I do a good job with that, a fact that has been reinforced by judges in competitions.
30 April 2012
The obvious rancor I expressed is the position you hold that wild animals (as opposed to domesticated animals like dogs, cats & cattle) are only to be considered such if photographed in their natural environment. That sort of elitist condescension is contrary to the purpose of this online community. How does your "I don't think your zoo photos belong here" rhetoric promote the efforts of those who look to this place as a supportive learning environment? Why is WHERE an image is captured more important than THAT the image is captured? Maybe they should create the category "by Frank" and give you control over who can post there. -
frank
@kanonkop The quality and content is not the issue here.I,m sure that as one who has hiked and photgraphed in the Fish River Canyon you would agree the the experiance,mood,and shots likely to be obtained in the Fish River Canyon are a far cry from shots captured in the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens.And likewise photographs taken in any country of the wild life there would differ in content and photgraphic image from shot captured in a zoo.
28 April 2012 -
kanonkop
is it not maybe a question of is domestic and pet photos the same as wild animal photos? both require skill to capture a good photo, but it requires different approaches and generally have a different story?
28 April 2012
it is best to capture wild life animals in the wild, but photographing captive wild life animals can surely still produce good results, especially if effort is taking to avoid indication of captivity. -
frank
@maspick
28 April 2012
Intersting responce but far off the mark.
I am not suggesting that you stop doing what give you pleasure.I am meerly pointing out that there are different challanges when it comes to capturing wildlife in captivity and wildlife in their natural environment and as such wildlife photographed in captivity should have a catogary of its own.Make it much simpler to analise.
As regards having wildest Africa on my doorstep.A misconception.My last trip to the Kgalgadi took 10 hours just to get to the area.Another 4 hours on dirt roads just to get to the camping area and hours and hours of waiting for something to happen.
The last I heard The USA has Mountain Lion,Bison,Elk,Moose,Bear ect roaming free in the wild.So becomming a photographer for National Geographic in order to photograph wildlife in ones country might be overkill.
I have seen excellent wildlife shots on this site that have nothing to do with being African.
The last time I looked the dollar was trading at almost 7 Dollars to the Rand.Ergo it would cost me 7 times more than it does you to go on a safari.
I hope this straightens out any misconceptions.Regards,Frank
Frank -
justincbongers
When I shoot wildlife I head into the bush. I feel that its extremely hard and far more rewarding to come across 2 bull moose battling it out in the bush than it is to find 2 monkeys picking lice off of each others heads.
27 April 2012
That being said, when I head to the Zoo I'm faced with the challenges of shooting through glass or a fence, and animals that just don't behave like themselves.
Both circumstance present difficult lighting and have their own set of problems. Either way a good shot is a good shot. I would challenge people to get out in both worlds and see for yourself just how hard it can be. You never know what you might get. -
maspick
@frank, I would love to be able to afford an African safari, or a tour through the Amazon jungle, but I'm not employed by National Geographic and struggle to stay afloat with the current economy in the U.S. Apparently my efforts at capturing wild animals in captivity don't measure up to having them in my back yard like you do. Guess I should cancel my membership here since I don't rate. d:¬{|
26 April 2012 -
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paapusa
Agreed Frank. What is both interesting and difficult to capture is their real mood and Spontaneity, which is a rarity with caged / fenced.
25 April 2012 -
Charu
It doesn't really concern this post but could you tell me how to participate in the ongoing wildlife photography competition? Thanks.
25 April 2012