My daughter's favourite animal is the Giraffe, so every opportunity we get to see them is gleefully taken. On holiday last year in Devon, UK, I got to take my Nikon D5300 and new Sigma 100-400mm DG DN plus my Sony Alpha A6600 along to Paignton Zoo for some snaps.
The first shot is my favourite; I caught her just as she looked towards me at an angle, she seemed playful and engaged, plus I managed to hit the focus and get a pleasing bokeh in the background.
Being wild animals, of course, they are not always going to be so generous in terms of positioning themselves for us. However, capturing the spot patterns is fascinating as the telephoto brings out the detail in the unique shapes along their face and neck.
I sometimes forget that giraffes have horns; having the ability to zoom into the faces of these tall animals reminds me of these little details. Unfortunately, they were being fed during this part of the shoot, so I decreased my f-stop to keep them in focus as they can move fast when food is on the table, and my Nikon's auto-focus is not fantastic.
My daughter even got in on the act and borrowed my Sony Alpha with the 16mm to capture some group shots.
Paignton Zoo is a beautiful day out with the family; there is far more than just giraffes and plenty for the little ones to see and do. The animals have plenty of space to roam, and their conservation work is invaluable to these precious species.
