Back in 1905 Houston populations was 44,000 with 80 automobiles to get everyone around, but not far away, Mr. Barrett struck oil and Houston entered the energy game. Still the zoo was not much to speak of with a collection of rabbits, raccoons, Mexican eagles, black bear, some owls, capuchin monkeys, prairie dogs and the beginnings of an alligator pond. In 1920, the federal government sent Earl to the zoo, a bison, for safe keeping as they approached extinction. A year later the first zookeeper, Hans Nagel was hired, the same year a number of snakes and birds joined the menagerie and a couple of years later two grand Asian elephants, Nellie and Hans, were added to the family. Now the Houston Zoo is a world class and internationally known first class wildlife park with over 400 different species to visit.
Your instructor will provide techniques to make your animal photos come to life by sharing the basic principles of panning, long lens, cropping and other tips that will lead to photos that go beyond the snapshot sensibility. Your instructor will also share extensive information on which lenses serve which purposes, to help you get the most out of the lenses you own and help you consider future lens purchases. In addition to animal portraiture outdoors there are photo ops in the Monkey House and other inside spaces that will provide lessons of catching your subjects in spite of the challenges of ambient lighting.
Additionally, there will be plenty of statues, landscapes and flora to photograph within Hermann Park. So be prepared to step back and capture a wide frame, or get close and compose a macro shot. Please be aware that in addition to the Digital Photo Academy fee, the Houston Zoo charges a $19.95 entry fee, well worth it for the beautiful setting provided in this non-profit destination.
