Zoo

Artist's Statement

This series of photographs is a documentary of animals at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC. My goal was to capture animals in as natural a state as possible given constraints of captivity. While shooting I also, was limited by the range of zoom so each animal captured in a photograph give some idea of how close you can observe them. The photos taken outdoors did not require much adjustment as the day was overcast and provided favorable soft light. I did however attempt to bring the animals out of the shadows when necessary. The photos indoors were difficult as I was dealing with a variety or heating, display, and natural light bulbs, reflections, and pedestrians in close proximity. Most of those photos needed some more brightening and evening out of colors.

Framing of the honey bee hive

I wanted a pairing of mats that would complement the colors of the photo without distracting from the photo. I also wanted to choose more natural colors as the subject pertained to animals in a wild-like atmosphere. The frame choice was similar, I wanted natural looking wood that complimented the coloring of the subject within the photo. Overall, the size I choose was limited the available paper size I had so I went with the largest size I could print and not require a custom frame which was 8x10 opening in a 11x14 frame. I hope the framing adds to the atmosphere of the subject in a natural environment.

1. 
   Andean Bear
   Camera Settings
   f/9.0 - SS 1/30 - ISO 100
2. 
   North American River Otter
   Camera Settings
   f/6.4 - SS 1/30 - ISO 100
3. 
   Honey Bee Takeover
   Camera Settings
   f/5.6 - SS 1/30 - ISO 125
4. 
   Giant Panda
   Camera Settings
   f/5.6 - SS 1/30 - ISO 125
5. 
   Ostrich
   Camera Settings
   f/5.6 - SS 1/30 - ISO 250
6. 
   Two-toed Sloth
   Camera Settings
   f/5.6 - SS 1/30 - ISO 800
7. 
   Von der Decken’s Hornbill
   Camera Settings
   f/5.6 - SS 1/30 - ISO 800
8. 
   Komodo Dragon
   Camera Settings
   f/5.6 - SS 1/30 - ISO 800
9. 
   Blue Poison Dart Frog
   Camera Settings
   f/5.0 - SS 1/15 - ISO 800
10. 
    Green Tree Python
    Camera Settings
    f/4.7 - SS 1/15 - ISO 250
11. 
    Grand Cayman Blue Iguana
    Camera Settings
    f/4.5 - SS 1/15 - ISO 250
12. 
    Various Colors Poison Dart Frog
    Camera Settings
    f/4.5 - SS 1/15 - ISO 2500
13. 
    Yellow Poison Dart Frog
    Camera Settings
    f/4.5 - SS 1/30 - ISO 1600