Better Nature Photos Now

I’ve just posted a series of photos featuring the Columbus skyline after dark. They are posted at http://artistslight.imagekind.com/columbusatnight. I will be sharing with you in the next blog posting how you can take pictures like these.

Proud daddy, Coco celebrates the birth of his new son by taking a drink at the watering hole at the Columbus Zoo, this morning. Mother and new baby are doing fine and spending some quality time alone, bonding. Big brother Bodhi couldn’t be reached for comment, but seems to be happy with his new baby brother.

CONTACT:
Patty Peters
Associate Zoo Director Community Relations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2009

Columbus Zoo Trumpets News of Elephant Birth

POWELL, Oh. – The much anticipated birth of an Asian elephant calf at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium occurred on March 27 at approximately 2:35 p.m. after a 655 day gestation period. The male calf stood within minutes.

Phoebe’s health was monitored throughout her pregnancy including an exercise regimen and regular ultrasounds and blood draws. On Wednesday her progesterone levels dropped significantly indicating the onset of the birthing process. Phoebe and her calf will continue to be observed around the clock for the next few weeks.

To allow Phoebe and her new baby time to form a strong bond, Zoo visitors are currently unable to see them. The Zoo will announce viewing information when it becomes available.

This is 21-year-old Phoebe’s third offspring and her second with sire Coco, 38 years of age. Phoebe and Coco made Columbus Zoo history on April 16, 2004 with the arrival of Bodhi (BO-dee), the Zoo’s first successful elephant birth. Thirty-five-year-old Connie completes the Columbus Zoo elephant herd.

The pairing of Phoebe and Coco was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for Asian elephants. The AZA, of which the Columbus Zoo is an accredited member, strives to maintain a sustainable population of the endangered elephants in North America. In the past five years only nine Asian elephants have been born in six AZA zoos including the new calf at the Columbus Zoo.

“I commend the dedicated staff and volunteers who love and care for these animals every day, and who have devoted their time and expertise to make this joyful event possible” said Jeff Swanagan, the Columbus Zoo’s Executive Director. “We look forward to watching him grow and since baby elephants develop fast — Bodhi gained 2 ½ pounds a day – people will want to visit him often.

An endangered species, Asian elephants are represented by an estimated 38,000 to 51,000 individuals living in fragmented populations in the wild. Agriculture, deforestation and conflict with humans pose a constant threat to wild Asian elephants.

The Columbus Zoo is committed to Elephant Conservation with a 20-year history of supporting wildlife conservation through a Conservation Grants program. Over the past five years, the Zoo has provided $3.8 million of privately raised revenue in support for field projects and conservation organizations in more than 40 countries. Several elephant projects in Africa and Asia have received support and recent examples include:

The Elephant Research Project (ERP), Botswana – Dr. Kate Evans
Satellite-tracking and social behavior of the Bornean elephant in Kinabatangan, Malaysia – Dr. Benoit Goossens
Getting Along with Elephants, South Asia- Sally Walker (Zoo Outreach Organization)
School awareness program for elephants, Sri Lanka
Survey of forest elephant populations, Democratic Republic of Congo
Study of forest elephants in Central Africa – Dr. Stephen Blake; Dr. Fiona Maisels
Tarangire Elephant Project, Tanzania – Dr. Charles Foley
Since 1990, the Zoo has hosted a Conservation Lecture Series. Speakers include award-winning authors and internationally recognized scientists and conservationists. The lecture series is an important opportunity for the Zoo to offer public education programs addressing timely conservation issues around the globe. Visitors to the Zoo also enjoy learning about elephant conservation and contribute directly to field projects at the Zoo’s Elephant Conservation Station inside the Pachyderm building.

“We have the opportunity every day to inspire people to care about wildlife and take an active role in conservation. An encounter with a living being, especially one as magnificent as an elephant, offers a vital link to conservation” stated Swanagan.

Updates on Phoebe and her calf can be found on the Zoo’s web site www.columbuszoo.org, Facebook, and you can follow us on Twitter.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is open every day of the year from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $12 for adults, $7 for children ages 2 to 9 and seniors 60+. Children under 2 and Columbus Zoo members are free. The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA.) For more information, visit www.columbuszoo.org.

My photo tip for today revolves around how to use depth of field to remove the bars from your zoo pictures. The photo you see here has not been processed in Photoshop.
The steps I use to throw the bars out of focus in many of my zoo pictures include:
1. Find the best position. Try to find a position where you shoot through only one set of bars. Most zoos have a number of places from which you can photograph animals. Find the one that has the least visual obstructions. You may need to walk around the enclosure to find these locations.
2. Use the longest lens length that you can handhold easily. Find a comfortable pose that allows you to focus on the animal’s eyes. Most cameras let you to choose the point where you focus the camera.
3. Watch the animal to see what habits he displays. Most animals have a routine. To get a great photograph, be patient and observant until you get the shot you want.
4. Shoot a lot to get the picture. With digital cameras, you don’t pay for bad shoots. Shoot until you make sure you have something you want.

Happy St. Patricks Day! I had an oppportunity this weekend to photograph my hometown’s big event. We had several thousand people watch the parade. I’m certain some of them didn’t end up in front of me.
To capture the different aspects of the parade, I packed light carrying only one flash for fill and one lens. It allowed me to move quickly and focus on the colors and emotions of the event.
I cranked my exposure up by one third to allow for better saturation while still retaining highlights in all the colorful outfits.
I shot in Raw to make sure I could experiment with color temperature. This allowed me to more closely match the colors.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
I’ve posted the weekends photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/trippbraden/

Dancing in the Streets

Many of my friends have asked how I create the images I do and I’ve decided to share on my blog how we create many of the images you see on the Artist’s Light Website. As you know we believe every picture tells a story and we will share the stories with you in our blog on a weekly basis. We are in the process of determining the best way to produce a blog that would create value to our clients and fellow artists. I meet with many photographers throughout the year and will strive to create significant value through these interactions for your our blog reader. Some of the photographers I have met with and taken classes with include such well known photographers as Franz Lanting, John Shaw, Bruce Dale and Bob Krist. When I’m in the field I also meet many of professional photojournalists and wedding photographers. I will share what I learn from them here in a weekly article. I’m going to see Rick Sammon tommorow night and will have an article for next week.

I’m working on a book project that I will be sharing with you as soon as I get a go ahead from one of my sponsors. I think you will find it interesting and helpful for advancing your own career. I’d look for the details over the next several weeks.