Why does it feel like cheating when shooting at the zoo?

I had the opportunity to spend the day at the Bronx zoo. The weather was a little cloudy so it made for some higher ISOs. I was able get some shots of animals I would never come into contact with like a red panda. I don't know why it is but I'm always more proud of a picture I was able to take in nature then the ones I get at the zoo. Somehow it feels like cheating! Anyway, here are some of the pictures I was able to get.




A red panda




The same red panda eating




Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?




This poor peacock was getting harassed by some small children.




I forgot what kind of bird this was.

Pietro13 said:

I had the opportunity to spend the day at the Bronx zoo. The weather was a little cloudy so it made for some higher ISOs. I was able get some shots of animals I would never come into contact with like a red panda. I don't know why it is but I'm always more proud of a picture I was able to take in nature then the ones I get at the zoo. Somehow it feels like cheating! Anyway, here are some of the pictures I was able to get.

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If the image is the end result, then don't feel guilty about your zoo pictures. (Nice pictures, BTW.)

Like you, I feel proud of my wildlife images taken in the wild. Photography (for me) is just one more excuse to get outside.

As a competition wildlife photographer I can't use Zoo or captive animals in my images as it is not a 'wildlife image' as specified in competition rules, it would be cheating if I used them.

It makes sense that you would not be allowed to use zoo pictures in competition. There really is no challenge other then dealing with the people who step right in front of the camera while shooting. I only take pictures for my enjoyment, so it doesn't matter but it is much more enjoyable out in nature. The good thing about the zoo is that you know you will get plenty of opportunities to get some good pictures. I like going there in the winter when there is less to shoot on Long Island NY.

As long as you make it clear that it was a zoo animal, then there's no cheating.

If I go to the zoo for photos I try to catch an image that says something about life in the zoo. For example, this photo shows a beautiful frog living behind foggy, smeared glass:





Almost all of my photos are not taken in the "real" wild anyway, but in local parks instead. In fact, those photos are usually taken in Forest Park, which actually has the St. Louis Zoo within its boundaries. I always mark my photo location as Forest Park in St. Louis. Some of the Flickr groups also require that you tag your photos as "urban" or "wild", etc.





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Because it is!

Seriously, I think the beauty of most wildlife photos is the wonderment that there is something like that animal out there roaming free in its own environment. When the animal is sadly in prison, it takes all the wonder out of it for me. Actually, a good series would be showing the animals behind bars in some way that reveals their plight honestly, without making it seem like they are wild, and still somehow coming away with a good image. Zoo images that were "honest" in that way would work for me.

I really have nothing against zoos and still visit them with my children. But there is definitely something missing versus having no bars or glass separating you and them.

It is not cheating if you are doing it for your own enjoyment, but it doesn't have the "rush" or satisfaction of photographing an animal in the wild. I do not really like zoo's but they are the only opportunity many people have to connect with wild animals. It is impossible for people to develop a connection if they have never physically seen a wild animal. I do financially support the local zoo so that others can see and enjoy the animals. Hopefully, a community can provide enough support that the animals can have better enclosures, care and food. My zoo trips are for the following:

• Test out new gear or after a CPS service. Nothing like shooting animals to test gear before a big trip.
• Practice on real life subjects before trying to find them in the wild. I am headed to Rwanda for gorillas in May and plan to spend some time at the gorilla exhibit in Disney Animal Kingdom testing out exposure settings.

I do think zoo's should require that everyone check their phones and tablets at the gate so they can focus on the animals. It is sad when you see a family at the zoo and kids are playing the phones rather than viewing the animals.

David

Because it is cheating! Zoo animals are not wild life.

While I agree that pictures taken at the zoo aren't the same as the ones we get in nature, but saying they are not wildlife maybe is a little drastic. Is taking pictures at the zoo much different than taking pics at your backyard bird feeder? Finding a nice branch to stick in the ground next to the feeder is kind of the same minus the enclosure. BTW the peacock had the run of the zoo. No enclosure

How can they be wildlife if the animals are not wild? That makes no sense to me.

They are not trained either. If they are not wildlife then what are they? Can I still post them in this form

Sure, the photos are nice I have nothing against posting them. They are animals but I can't say they are wildlife any more than chickens on a farm are.

PSCL1 said:

Because it is cheating! Zoo animals are not wild life.

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Care to test that theory in the lion enclosure? Just kidding!

That is funny! I still had a good time even though it wasn't a true wildlife shoot. I also learned about the red panda and got a chance to test out my new lens. It beats going to the state parks and coming home with nothing but seagull pictures this time of year.

I really do not care how you feel after seeing the face of that poor bear.

Wow! I didn't know I was such a terrible person for going to the zoo. What about all the people who have fish tanks. Monsters!!! The people at the Bronx zoo do more for wildlife conservation then most people. They raise awareness amongst the public and instill a love of nature in our youth. I know it seems sad to see animals not being able to roam free but that is happening everywhere in nature. I did not mean for this to offend anyone. All I was doing is trying to share some pictures on a photography forum.

Pietro13 said:

Wow! I didn't know I was such a terrible person for going to the zoo. What about all the people who have fish tanks. Monsters!!! The people at the Bronx zoo do more for wildlife conservation then most people. They raise awareness amongst the public and instill a love of nature in our youth. I know it seems sad to see animals not being able to roam free but that is happening everywhere in nature. I did not mean for this to offend anyone. All I was doing is trying to share some pictures on a photography forum.

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I love animals and the wild environments, but zoos serve a necessary purpose in extending the experience to a population that may never see a bear/lion/tiger in the wild. The work of Ansel Adams shared the beauty of Yosemite which eventually led to the foundation of a national park. Yosemite would have been stripped like Hetch Hetchy if not for the interested created by Adams & Muir. Unfortunately, kids are so inundated with imagery that photographs of wild animals are not enough to create interest or a connection with the animals. I grew up in the era when National Geographic provided impactful images which caught my attention and started me down the path of wildlife photography. Zoos at least provide the opportunity for kids to focus on animals and MAYBE establish a connection. If there is not an emotional connection, all of the wild areas and wildlife will eventually be destroyed. To the point, zoos do a lot of research that benefits wildlife. I wish zoos were better funded so that they could provide the kind of enclosures that reduce stress on the animals.

You are only a bad person if you go to places like Tripple D Game Ranch. That is really cheating and I don't like the way the animals are treated or housed.

If you want to show people what the zoo is like, then it's perfect fine. I do it too.

But I'm more interested in showing people the outdoors, exotic and scenic locations, and wildlife.

I'm more interested in promoting the natural outdoors than promoting zoos.

Pietro13 said:

Wow! I didn't know I was such a terrible person for going to the zoo. What about all the people who have fish tanks. Monsters!!! The people at the Bronx zoo do more for wildlife conservation then most people. They raise awareness amongst the public and instill a love of nature in our youth. I know it seems sad to see animals not being able to roam free but that is happening everywhere in nature. I did not mean for this to offend anyone. All I was doing is trying to share some pictures on a photography forum.

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I understand. I did not intend to offend you either, I'm just not a fan of animal abuse. I believe locking an animal in a caged environment is abuse. Any good they do after that as far as I am concerned is all negated by this treatment. I usually do not comment like this but the bear picture upset me.

A zoo is easy to get to but it's hard to make a good animal photograph there.

The African bush is hard to get to, but it's easy to make a good animal photograph there. The same for Alaska.

The Pantanal is hard to get to and it's hard to make a good animal photograph there.