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At the Zoo
Our family likes to visit zoos and aquariums when we go on vacation. We have a good time comparing the different zoos and aquariums. I enjoy taking photographs of the animals. With a good telephoto lens, I can take photographs as if I were really out in the wild without being too far from home. I also enjoy documenting all the stories of our zoo adventures. With a variety of subjects and events, a trip to the zoo provides a lot of layout opportunities. Here are a few tips when planning your photography and journaling for zoo trips. Photography - A telephoto lens with a wide aperture (4.0 or 2.8) is a must. I use a SLR camera and a zoom lens with a focal length up to 200mm. A 300mm would be even more helpful. The longer focal length allows you to zoom in closer and eliminates the background, glass panes and fences. The wide aperture also gives you greater depth of field.
- To keep your photographs from being blurred, use a high shutter speed and high film speed.
- Handling Barriers. When shooting photographs through a glass or a cage, get as close to the cage as possible. Put the lens right against the glass if possible. For glass, angle the lens a little bit to reduce the reflection. With a glass barrier it also helps to focus on an object not right in front of you but a little in the distance. These two sea otter photographs are taken in the same tank at the same spot. In the left side photograph, the sea otter was right up to the glass. Notice the visible scratches on the glass. In the right photograph, the sea otter was farther away in the middle of the tank.
- Keep the background simple and uncluttered. Select an angle that gives you the best natural background possible.
- Lighting is best in the morning and late afternoon when the sun is low.
Journaling Keep your eyes and ears open for stories about your trip to the zoo. Beyond the "at the zoo" general theme layouts there are many journaling opportunities at the zoo. Here are some ideas: - Events the zoo holds that may be of interest to you or someone else
- Sections of the zoo which you find especially interesting
- Research happening at the zoo
- Your or another person's attraction to a certain zoo animal
- Opportunities to interact with the zoo animals
Layout Design Layout ideas can be simple with a photo and journaling or can be more elaborate with extras. Consider the following:  With a lot of good photographs create a collage of the animals you visited at the zoo.
- Include memorabilia like a zoo map or zoo tickets.
- Extras for scrapbook pages include animal brads, die cuts, laser cuts and stickers. Consider if any of these would enhance your page design.
- Use colors in your layout that coordinates with the feel and message of your zoo layout.
- Label the names of the animals.
Take your camera and a notebook (for journaling ideas) to the zoo and have a good time documenting your trip.
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