The Lens Goes Back; But I Keep the Photos

Saturday, 19 May

While we were at Shenandoah River State Park last weekend, I posted about our quick trip to Skyline Drive to test a 300mm prime lens (post here).  At the time, I was leaning towards keeping it, but still had some concern about the inflexibility of a single focal length lens.  So, today we went to the Smithsonian National Zoo for another photo-shoot. I got some great photos, but I also proved to myself that I would be frustrated without the ability to change the focal length on the fly; especially important when I am unable to increase the distance between myself and my subject (which is a very likely scenario on a wildlife-focused trip we will be taking in July).  I also couldn’t justify the expense of the lens.  After all, I do little more with my photos than post them in online galleries and the blog.

So, after a long and difficult decision-making process, this most excellent lens is going back.  I can think of at least two avid photographers who, if they read this post, will think I’m nuts.  But I have to do what’s right for me.

I have another plan of action in place that I think will give me the best of both worlds — great photographs at a more reasonable price and a simpler (and lighter) camera bag.  I hope to test my plan when we take the Phaeton out for Memorial Weekend.

In the meantime, here are some of my favorite shots from the zoo photo-shoot.  I wish they were photographs of wildlife in their natural habitat, but I needed a captive audience — no pun intended — to finish my testing before the deadline for returning the lens came and went.

(Speaking of returning the lens: kudos to B&H — a photographer’s ultimate toy store — for their prompt service and no-hassle return policy.  We’ve been using them for years to order our photo/video gear.)

Giant Panda
not sure if this is mei xiang or tian tian, but either way I can tell you that there was no
“mating action” during the recent estrus period.  so, Mei Xiang has been artificially inseminated;
we’re all anxiously waiting to hear the pitter-patter of mini panda paws later this year.

Grevy’s Zebras
somehow B&W seemed an appropriate treatment for this, my second favorite of the zebra
photos from this shoot.  I posted my favorite in the viewfinder.  Take a look; I think you’ll like it.

Sumatran Tiger
I believe this is Guntur, born may 2006 here at the zoo; his name means thunder.

this young male is one of the lion cubs that was born in 2010.
[baby photo album and video footage here.]

Brotherly Love

Orangutan
we watched batang (female) use the overhead o-line — orangutan highway, if you will — to
join two other orangs in this yard.  I captured this shot as she mischievously stole a treat
from kiko, the zoo’s adult male orangutan.  Just look at the expression on her face!

Left: Black-Crowned Night Heron
Approx. 200 pairs of wild night herons stop over at the Smithsonian zoo to nest each year.
this is one of those wild herons.

right: surveying its domain from a high perch, this peacock lives in the free-flight aviary.

Wattled Cranes
The chick, born March 2012, is a bit blurry, I’m afraid, but I just had to include it here.
[balancing myself and the camera on tiptoes is not ideal for wildlife photography!]

Flamingo with Egg
this flamingo rose just in time to give us a peek at its egg before sitting back down on it. 
the flamingos at the zoo lay their eggs in may-june; chicks hatch a month later.

Wood Duck ducklings
I was just in time to see the ducklings at feeding time; they were a blur of activity, but I
did manage to get one or two shots of lone ducklings in focus.

Grouse
[I believe; if I am wrong, please correct me by leaving a comment]

Using the burst mode on my camera, I came away from this shoot with 641 pictures.  Not all were good, of course.  And many of them were duplicates.  I’ve whittled them down to 48 pictures.  If you’d like to see the ones I did not include in this post, click here to visit my online gallery.