In Focus
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Roseann Giambro, primate keeper at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, feeding a baby gorilla.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
A whitetail deer touches the nose of her fawn in Washington Park. This image was shot with a 300mm lens out of a car window, with the support of a monopod. Animals usually ignore vehicles, so a car works as a great cover.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Two horses stand together in a colorful pasture. The soft, subtle colors in the background add a nice element to the image.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
A squirrel gathers acorns in the fall along South College Street in Washington. Shot with a 300mm lens from the cover of a car. It took a lot of patience and time to capture a picture of the squirrel with an acorn in its mouth.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Photographer Celeste Van Kirk used a 70-200mm lens, sat patiently and waited for a bullfrog to pop its head out of the water to capture this image. The pond, on Harmon Hills Farm in Hopewell Township, was full of bullfrogs.
Over the years, I have taken many trips to the zoo to photograph animals. On one occasion, I found myself at the right place and right time to capture Roseann Giambro, primate keeper at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, feeding a baby gorilla.
The gorilla’s mother, Mokas, suffered from an infection in her mammary glands. The use of antibiotics to clear up the infection caused her to stop producing milk, so her baby was under human care until he was strong enough to go back with the troop and eat solid food.
The image I captured shows a tender moment between Giambro and the infant gorilla, allowing viewers to see the connection between humans and the animal kingdom.
I shot this image through the glass with a 70-200mm lens. Shooting through glass is a real challenge because of fingerprints, smudges, scratches and other marks. The best way to do it is to zoom your lens out to the longest focal length, get as close to the glass as possible to eliminate reflection, use a wide aperture, starting with f/2.8, and focus on the animal itself. With this technique, you can also eliminate a cage or fence.
Animals, by nature, are quite shy and fearful. It’s almost impossible to observe and capture wildlife when in close proximity. By using a telephoto lens, such as 70-300mm, you can zoom in and get close without disturbing or frightening your subject
Another important note is to make sure your shutter speed is longer than the length of your lens. For example, if you are using a 200mm lens, your minimum shutter should be 1/200 second or faster. I generally start with a shutter speed of 1/500 or faster accordingly to the lighting.
Using a camera support, such as a tripod or monopod, helps to keep the camera steady so images are sharp and in focus. Also, shooting in bursts or continuous firing mode gives you the ability to capture a sequence of shots in rapid succession.
When taking photos of animals, timing is everything. Early morning and evening are when animals are most active, whether the subject is in your backyard or the zoo.
Shooting at eye level with your subject is essential. This perspective reveals an intimate glimpse into the world as the animal see it. Make the animal’s eye your primary focal point. Eye-to-eye contact conveys a very powerful image and draws the viewer into the picture.
Remember the key to wildlife photography is patience.
Here are a few tips on photographing wildlife:
1 Shoot at eye level with your subject.
2 Use a monopod or tripod.
3 Shoot in burst mode. Enjoy and have fun!