Calling all wildlife photographers

[Optikal iLLusion]

I made a trip to the zoo today and got some pictures. I got this one of a lion but the fence is obviously there. Would you guys consider this a keeper or not? I like the expression on the lions face but im wondering if the fence just takes to much away.

[RichardTaylor]

Back in the early days it may have been, but not any more.

[Optikal iLLusion]

So you dont think the fence takes away from the quality of the photo then?

[RichardTaylor]

It depends on what you are trying to show.
If it is a wildlife pic then the fence is a major distraction.
If it is to show a "caged" animal then it is fine. However I think it would look a lot better with a lot tighter crop to remove a lot of the tree and the distracting pole on the left.
.

[Optikal iLLusion]

I havent edited it yet but the crop was on the list. Thanks for the insight on the fence

[Woody]

Try this:

How to Shoot Through a Wire Fence

Cheers,

John W

[Melio]

I agree with cropping it a bit, but I actually kind of like the fence in the shot. It's blurred out just enough so we can still see the lion. Seems an accurate expression for an animal in a cage

[Optikal iLLusion]

Here's what i came up with for the final edit

[veritasimagery]

To me, the fence is a big distraction.

The crop reduced a lot of the other distractions, but now it shows that the either the focus is off, or there is too much movement. The lion is just not sharp, especially in the eyes where it really matters.

[Optikal iLLusion]

Originally Posted by veritasimagery

To me, the fence is a big distraction.

The crop reduced a lot of the other distractions, but now it shows that the either the focus is off, or there is too much movement. The lion is just not sharp, especially in the eyes where it really matters.

It does look a bit soft, but i wouldnt be able to tell you why.. my settings favor the shot being sharp.. or at least i think they do...

Focal Length170 mm
Shutter Speed1/250 sec.
Aperture8
ISO/Film200

I chose Av mode and set to f/8 because i figured that it would give me a good enough DOF and it would be sharper than shooting wide open.

Maybe my focus was a bit off. I cant remember if i was in MF or if i was using AF Servo. Im going to guess that i switched to MF because of the fence. So the focus being a tad off may be the issue.