THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EYE

EXERCISE
Zoo/Farm
Assignment: Go to a zoo or a farm
and photograph animals.
If you can't get to a zoo or farm,
find some pets to photograph.
Photograph only animals, not people
on horseback, for instance, or an
animal with a trainer.
Goal: Try to get more than just a
photograph of an elephant or cow or
dog. See if you can capture
something special about one particular
animal.
Tips: Animals, like people, are
highly expressive and mobile. To
photograph them well, you'll have to
catch them in action or wait till one
stops in an interesting pose.
Experiment with perspective. Get
in close enough to crop out the
background completely. Step back
and show the animal in its environment.
Show the whole animal, just a
part of it —an ear, eye, tail, footer
several animals together. Look for
texture (such as an elephant's hide)
and pattern (a zebra's stripes).
In addition to zoos and farms, you
might find good subjects at a country
fair, a cattle auction, a dog show,
or in a park. Even in the middle of
a city, you should be able to find dogs
and cats; you might find horses; and
you will certainly find pigeons.
If there is a cage between you and
your subject, get as close to the bars
or wire as possible (assuming you
can't shoot between them). The cage
will then just be a blur, especially if
176 The Photographic Eye
you use a large aperture. Try to open
up to about f/2.8, but remember that
you'll need to focus very carefully. If
your subject is also fairly far away,
the cage may disappear entirely.
Alternatively, if you're at a zoo, an
outdoor show may give you an opportunity
to photograph animals outside
of their cages.
Student photograph by Sam Tipton.