Panda bear and others

[Paul Haese]

Went to see the lazy sleepy bears today. Being a member I booked but the current quarantine enclosure is well very reflective and not really suited for photographers.

Wang wang

The Tigress was also out for a change and actually in the clear for photographing. Happy with this image though. I was amazed to see Wang Wang so active. The bears we saw in China were not very active at all. Wang Wang was almost neurotic in comparison.

Click here for Tigress

Also saw a Palm Cockatoo there for a change. The colour of the red cheeks is amazing against the black of the plumage.

Click here for Palm Cockatoo

comments welcome

[kinetic (Steve)]

Sensational pics Paul.
Love your work, as always

Steve

[dpastern (Dave Pastern)]

Very nice set Paul. Is the WB right though on the Panda shot? Where were these taken at?

Dave

[troypiggo (Troy)]

Fantastic set. Very sharp, subjects isolated. Also thought the WB might be a little off on the panda, but it's not an issue for me.

[matt]

I like the panda. Similarly to Troy, I thought the WB looked a little off. A little warm, perhaps, or a tad yellowish...but it also doesn't worry me.

Very enjoyable.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

I shared the images with my boys, they liked the Palm Cockatoo best.

[Paul Haese]

Thanks all,

The panda's are enclosed in a halogen and fluro lit glass enclosure which reflects like no bodies business. This is mixed with natural sun light streaming in from outside. It is a WB horror story. I set the WB to halogen initially and then auto but the auto setting worked the best for this shoot. The bear's fur is not really white in real life and more this colour so hence the WB does look a little warm. I am expecting once the little sods are put outside into the open enclosures the WB of images will look more white.

Thanks for the comments, they are all welcomed.

[matt]

You did a good job under those trying conditions, Paul

Looking forward to more panda shots.

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Matt. Our group of photographers are probably going to do another shoot after January 2 when the pandas are in the outside enclosures. I want to get a shot of them chewing bamboo (it is iconic) and looking down the barrel, so I hope to have something in the coming month. So stay tuned.

[Paul Haese]

edit - I have done a WB adjust for those interested.

[astro_south (Andrew)]

Great shots Paul - super detail

[gary]

Hi Paul,

Great shots!

On a trip to Beijing in the early '90's we went to the zoo. it was a terrible
place but the quality and care the pandas were getting compared to the conditions
other animals had was considerably better. Anyway, they had a panda inside behind
glass and I am trying to get the shot just right and avoid reflections and all
that sort of thing. Meantime the panda was essentially dozing & dormant.
The whole time, Mai is saying to me, "Come here, come here" and I am looking
through the view finder trying to get the allusive shot and saying "Not now. Not now".
Anyway, Mai finally got my full attention and ushered me to another enclosure
which was outside with no glass. There was nobody else about and the pandas were
fully animated doing this and that. Mai said, "This is what I was trying to tell
you the whole time!".

Anyway, once again fantastic shots and love the tiger and cockatoo too!

[Liz]

Wow!! Amazing shots - love them all, but the tigress is stunning ..... followed by the Panda

[seeker372011 (Narayan)]

love that Panda shot Paul.

Brilliant

Narayan

[seeker372011 (Narayan)]

and that tigeress shot isn't half bad either!