One of my favorite hobbies is animal photography. From 2015 onwards, I have set out for zoos, aquariums and national parks, with one goal in mind: photographing animals. Another part of my goal is to explore different zoos and discover their special species and creative exhibits. Animals can be unpredictable and as a photography lover, that’s what challenges me the most. It keeps me on my toes, but I LOVE it when I can get a good shot of animals, especially when they’re active and not camera shy. Animals also require patience, but it’s always worth it in the end. How did I start my photography adventure?
My fascination with photography started in the summer of 2015. My mom has a Sony DSLR camera and sometimes, she would let me take pictures while on our summer Europe trips. One day, I said, “I think I want to try taking my own pictures”. With that thought re-occurring, I started studying DSLR cameras, firstly looking at lots of pictures. While I was researching, I came up with a few wants for my possible camera. I wanted a camera that had the possibility to zoom in and out, was easy to travel with, easy to use, and took great pictures. I also wanted one that was in a reasonable price range. Another want was a colored camera since black would be too confusing to tell apart from Mom’s. With having Aperts Syndrome, I lack dexterity in 3 fingers on both hands (I can bend my thumb and my pinky fingers, though), and my hands are small. This meant finding an easy operating camera was super important. Another desired thing was wireless connection abilities so that I could easily/quickly download my pictures to my mobile devices.
After looking at numerous DSLR camera pictures on the internet, I stumbled upon a picture of a Nikon D3200 camera. I was very curious about it and quickly pulled it up on the Best Buy website. That camera was sold in 2 different colors: dark red and black. I thoroughly read the camera description, picked the dark red choice and ordered it! Dad found a great camera deal at a Best Buy store about an hour from home. The set consisted of the camera, 2 interchangeable lenses (one zoom lens and one regular lens), 2 batteries, a charger, a Nikon strap (which I used temporarily) and a Nikon camera bag (which I also used temporarily). That WHOLE Nikon set was in my price range! On our way home from visiting grandparents, who live in Hattiesburg, MS, we stopped at the store and picked up my new camera. When we got home, I excitedly (and very carefully) unboxed it, got the strap on it, read the instructions (also very important, even when very ecstatic!) and started taking pictures. I took my new camera outside, got some pictures of the ducks that live behind my house, and the rest is history.
It didn’t take long for me to dive into the unknown (thanks, Elsa) world of photography. I would go outside and take pictures of anything I could (our house is backed up to a pond, and we frequently have duck/heron/ visitors). I quickly replaced the Nikon brand camera strap with a more comfortable cross-body one. I said goodbye to the camera bag and got a comfortable backpack for my 15th birthday. For camera backpack inquiries, I use the Lowpro Fastpack BP AW II and I highly RECOMMEND it. Animal photography quickly became my new-found passion.
Through mid-August 2018-early 2019, my Nikon had shown troublesome signs. I’ve fallen with it on 2 different trips, and now, the zoom lens wasn’t working and sounded terrible. This wasn’t good as I’ve done most of my animal photography with that lens. Early December, I began thinking, “maybe it’s time I start thinking about getting a new camera.” Knowing our future trip plans for upcoming years, I thought now was the time to start researching. At the beginning of searching, Mom brought up the idea of a super zoom camera. I quickly thought that camera type would be perfect for photographing animals. Then, she sent me an article about best super zoom cameras and bridge cameras. Bridge cameras are a camera type in which the lens is attached to the camera body. I was quickly drawn to this intriguing camera type and began my search.
My first super-zoom camera liking was the Nikon COOLPIX P900. That camera had an 83x magnification lens. I thought it could work but I didn’t know how big it was. When I first saw it in Spain, I was a little overwhelmed. The lens was probably the width of my hands, maybe a little wider. The camera felt very heavy and didn’t look easy to travel with or operate. The Nikon COOLPIX P900 was quickly deemed as a no-go. When we got home from our spectacular European Christmas, I found another contender, the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80. That camera looked smaller than the P900 and had a 60x magnification lens. It was roughly the same size as my Nikon. Things looked promising for this camera until a timing setback emerged. Thus, another camera was eliminated from my list. I remained patient because I knew the perfect camera was out there, and I wouldn’t quit searching until I found the right one.
A few days after, there was a HUGE camera breakthrough! There was another possible camera choice, which was a Canon SX60 HS. I looked at it online and was hooked instantly. I also read it had a really good 65x magnification lens and Wi-Fi abilities. I was least expecting to find a Canon camera in my budget, but that camera was in there! There were even some in stock at our local Best Buy store! I was very intrigued by it so Dad and I went to go take a look. When we got there, I saw that SX60, held it, got a great feel for it and determined… I finally found my new camera!!! More than a YEAR and a half later, and I’m still over the moon with my camera. That camera has worked amazingly for animal pictures and captures so many details that my Nikon would probably blur. It’s a very reliable camera and easy for me to use. It’s a great size to travel with and I take it on every adventure. The Wi-Fi has also saved me time, as I can download pictures straight to my mobile devices. For Christmas 2019, I got a smaller Lowpro camera bag, which has worked perfectly for backpacking and small getaways.
If I had to pick my favorite species to photograph, trunk’s down (pun intended), it’s elephants. At the Houston Zoo, there are 11 Asian elephants with 3 being young ones. Joy is the older of the three, at 3 years old, and was born summer 2017. This girl was the youngest elephant calf I’ve seen, at 5 days old, and she was ADORABLE. She is my favorite elephant of our herd and in general, to the point that I talk to her and call her “my” girl. Joy’s older brother, Duncan (born 3 years before, in 2014), was the first elephant calf I saw. He was a week old and amazed me with how small (and ADORABLE) elephant calves were. Tilly is the second-youngest elephant, and she is FULL of PERSONALITY! She is currently 2 years-old and was born summer 2018. Since getting my Canon, I’ve been determined to take pictures of those growing (TOO FAST) girls. A big reason why I love photographing Joy and Tilly, is every time is different. They have such unique personalities that are fun to photograph. Joy has become an adventurous girl and LOVES exploring. Tilly loves playing with Joy and will often playfully knock her into the pool, and vice versa. That’s one of my favorite moments. It’s been interesting seeing the herd’s dynamic change over the past few years especially with 3 playful calves coming into the mix. Joy and Tilly never cease to captivate me with their adorable antics. Now girls, please STOP GROWING SO FAST! In May 2020, Joy became a big sister when her little brother was born. His name is Nelson, and he is adorable! He had a rough start to life, but because the mom trusted the elephant team (that are amazing), they were able to SAVE him. I’m secretly hoping he’s not taller than me whenever I go back to see them, but I guess that’s an irrelephant (pun intended, again) wish.
In August 2020, I wanted to take my love of photography to a whole other unexplored level. It started when I heard about a photo contest presented by Australia Zoo on Facebook. As I thought about it (and probably drove my family nuts), I decided that there was no harm in trying. Then came a photo search of what photo/photos I would enter in the competition. After a lot of looking as well as consultations from the family, I picked three of my favorites. I’ve never put my pictures out there in this way before, so I’m a little nervous. One interesting thing about me is I get very shy showing myself, and putting my story, and photos, out there. I know it’s a longshot, but like Sawyer said in Dolphin Tale 2, “I don’t want to look back on this knowing we didn’t even try”. Since I started photography, I have discovered how photography has given me a whole new perspective on an animal’s beauty.
I still have plenty to learn about animal photography. I’m 100% self-taught and am always trying different strategies to photograph animals. One thing about animal photography is that you should never give up, just because you’ve taken one bad or blurry, picture. Believe me, I’ve been there and have taken thousands of blurry pictures. If I were to quit at my first bad picture, none of these pictures would exist. Another thing is expecting the unexpected. You never know how a picture will turn out, sometimes it could be your best picture. Patience is also key, as it takes time to find the right camera that works best for what you’re wanting. Finding my Cannon camera tested my patience but the results have been well worth it. One thing I’ve kept in mind is that the greatest photographers (Robert Irwin is my favorite. Crikey! His pictures are beyond breathtaking!) started off where I am now.
Coming up next on CNA: A wild Zoo adventure outside of the Zoo!
Claudia's Nature Adventures 