It's All Happening At The Zoo (1 Viewer)

[Citizen87645]

A few more from the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ygx/7350080290/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ygx/7350081430/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ygx/7350082274/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ygx/7161575667/

 

[Cees Alons]

Wow!
(Re butterfly shot. )


Cees

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I love the butterfly!
The orangutan shots look like they have a green color cast to them, Cameron. It may be my crappy monitor at work, though.
I'd love to make another trip to the San Diego Zoo. My wife and I visited there probably 20 years ago on our only trip to San Diego. It was an incredible zoo.

 

[Citizen87645]

Thanks!

There is a green bias on the orangutan shots, but your monitor may be overemphasizing it. I'll probably revisit the processing on them as it was one of the last ones in a big batch and my judgment is sometimes questionable at that stage.

I wouldn't have gotten that butterfly shot if one of my friends hadn't told me about it. There was a bush where a lot of monarch cocoons had just hatched and it was just hanging out there. I walked right by it earlier and hadn't noticed. Since the butterfly was perched over my head, I couldn't have framed the shot that way with a standard DSLR. So it was good I had both a DSLR and a P&S compact with me.

 

[Citizen87645]

I made some adjustments to the white balance. I think the glass I was shooting through was creating some of the color cast.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

That does look better, Cameron. Of course, I'm viewing this from my home calibrated monitor now, so I've made an adjustment, too.
Shooting through glass can create all sorts of issues -- glare, killing contrast, color cast, etc.

 

[Citizen87645]

The reflections on this one are very obvious, but there weren't too many options with the crowd gathered around the viewing area.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ygx/7346780826/

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Nice, Cameron. That glass/reflection issue is the same thing I battle with the lion exhibit at the Detroit Zoo. Sometimes there is nothing you can do to eliminate them.

 

[Carlo_M]

Nice, Cameron. That glass/reflection issue is the same thing I battle with the lion exhibit at the Detroit Zoo. Sometimes there is nothing you can do to eliminate them.

What's wrong, Scott? Have you never heard of hopping over the barricade?
Even with the glass/reflection, nice shot! Oh, and I'm wondering, if you know you're going to a place with a lot of glass, like a zoo or aquarium, would a polarizing filter help?

 

[Citizen87645]

A polarizer would definitely have helped I think. Strangely enough, I haven't ever made the investment in one (at least for the 77mm filter size).

 

[Citizen87645]

Scott, is there a circular polarizing filter you would recommend?

 

[dmiller68]

I have a Hoya and have been happy.

 

[Citizen87645]

There seems to be quite a range of prices on the Hoyas. Which model did you get?

 

[dmiller68]

I just looked at it and noticed that I got Tiffen when I bought my 77mm ones.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004ZCI3/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00

 

[Scott Merryfield]

A polarizer would definitely have helped I think. Strangely enough, I haven't ever made the investment in one (at least for the 77mm filter size).

A polarizer will help, but not always eliminate the reflections. This shot was with a CPL, and you can still see some reflections:

Scott, is there a circular polarizing filter you would recommend?

I have this B+W polarizer. It's not cheap, but is an excellent filter. I also own a less expensive Hoya multi-coating CPL filter (can't remember which model). While the Hoyas are decent optically, they are a pain in the rear to clean due to whatever they use for their coating. They smear and streak like crazy.

 

[Cees Alons]

Excellent point, Scott.
What you're showing is the dreaded (by me) rainbow-effect, often associated with CPl filters!

That's why I never have one "on" by default, just when I think it can make a real difference I screw a CPl on.
Often then, I either make one or two shots without it as well, or decide not to bother with it at all.


Cees

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Cees, actually in my example the reddish reflection was from a kid wearing a red shirt. I believe all the other reflections were of people, too, but there could be some rainbow effect. The CPL filter just wouldn't eliminate all the reflections -- it only reduced them.
I do not use a CPL "by default", either, but only in situations where it will either (1) cut down on reflections or glare, or (2) help enhance some of the colors, such as creating a deeper blue sky or greener foliage. A CPL helps a lot with reflections around water. I think of it as putting sunglasses on my camera.
The example photo was actually the first time I'd used a CPL filter on my 100-400L lens, as this lens is notorious for not handling filters well. Besides, I use the lens primarily for wildlife, so really do not need a CPL filter under normal circumstances. It was an act of desperation to try to get rid of the reflections of the patrons in the glass.

 

[Cees Alons]

Scott,

My post certainly wasn't aimed at criticizing your picture (or the use of the filter in that specific case). If it looked that way, I apologize.
(And I can see now that the reddish part of the reflection may have been something else than I thought.)

I just wanted to underwrite your remark that a CPl-filter will not always remove all reflections, and I believed your photo showed another aspect, the rainbow, that can make the use of it problematic.
Like you, I own one or two CPl-filters, but I'm not terribly fond of them.


Cees

 

[Joe Wong]

Following on the lion theme, here is one from behind glass:

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Scott,
My post certainly wasn't aimed at criticizing your picture (or the use of the filter in that specific case). If it looked that way, I apologize.
(And I can see now that the reddish part of the reflection may have been something else than I thought.)
I just wanted to underwrite your remark that a CPl-filter will not always remove all reflections, and I believed your photo showed another aspect, the rainbow, that can make the use of it problematic.
Like you, I own one or two CPl-filters, but I'm not terribly fond of them.
Cees

No need to apologize, Cees. I didn't take your comments as criticism. I was just pointing out where the reflections came from. And even if you, or anyone else, offered constructive criticism on any shots I post, I wouldn't be offended. After all, if I didn't want feedback or a discussion on the photos, I wouldn't post them.
Thanks for contributing, Joe. Nice shot... and no reflections in the glass, either.