Unfortunately we are not always able to jump a flight to the exotic corners of the earth to photograph some of the worlds most beautiful and elusive creatures.  Fortunately though, you can get some images that would otherwise be logistically impossible thanks to local zoos. The images above are a few images I captured while at the San Diego Zoo last summer.

Photographing wildlife at a zoo does present some rather unique challenges since you are not shooting those images in the animals natural habitat.  When shooting images at the zoo you have to deal with people, bars, glass, and other man made objects that detract from the essence of the wildlife.  Here are few tips for shooting in zoos to get the most out of your subject.

• Chances are you will not be allowed to bring a tripod (check with your local zoo first to see if they will allow it, or see if you can score a permit), but alot of zoos will let you use a monopod if you happen to have one.
• Consider shooting with the longest glass you have, this will allow you to get “closer” to your subject and fill the frame.
• Be patient, many times the longer you stick around the better shots you will get as you can observe the behavior of the animal and learn on the spot how best to capture a great image of your subject.

Bottom line…zoos are a great way to put you and your camera close to some of the most beautiful wildlife around, and if you are lucky enough to get a chance to photograph in the wild, the zoo might be a great place to practice your techniques so when you encounter your subject in the field you are ready to photograph!

Here are a few images from a recent trip to San Fransisco.  If it had been left up to me I would have spent alot more time out in Cali, but duty calls and I had to return despite my personal protest.  The warm weather was a welcome change to the bleary wet weather spring had to offer back home, even though the one day I got a chance to get out and shoot the city the weather was overcast and foggy…oh well that’s the luck sometimes.

Today started off like so many Friday’s before, then en route to my office I was irritated to find myself being diverted off my normal drive only to discover a student house engulfed in flames.  I was able to grab my camera and and grab a few shots.  No one was reported injured in the fire, all people (plus pets) were accounted for.  I arrived on the scene about 9:20am or so, just after the fire trucks had arrived, it did not take long, maybe an hour or so before there was only a smoldering frame left of the house.

For more information here is the link to the local news story about the fire.  The State News: Fire Engulfs East Lansing Home

I am really excited to have learned about a new site that has been created by Chase Jarvis and nearly 20 other creative minds.  Its called CreativeLIVE.  This new site is really amazing, it allows anyone to access this free creative education from anywhere, all you need is the free time, and an internet connection.

I am particularly excited about the photography lineup- Vincent Laforet, David DuChemin, Zack Arias, Scott Bourne, and Art Wolfe.  For more information check out Chase’s blog www.chasejarvis.com or jump directly to CreativeLive.com

I hope to “see” you in class!

Here is a little behind the scenes video of my shoot in China.

A few of the images I shot along the way.

Overall, my trip to China was very fun.  I did not have a lot of time for site seeing but I did manage to get some in on either end of the workshop.  Shanghai was very beautiful, especially at night.  The buildings are lit up in an amazing display of lights and LED panels.  It makes for quite the nightly show. Next time I get the opportunity to go to China I will have to checkout Beijing and the Great Wall of China.

This image was one of a series of images I shot while on a business trip to Rwanda in October of 2008.  This particular image was shot in a large eggplant farm just outside of the capital city of Kigali Rwanda.  This image caught a moment where this kid was listening intently to the conversations being held by the main farmer and some of my colleagues in the field.  This kid was one of many who came to see what all the action was about, these kids were great, they were so high spirited and engaged in what we were doing.  This trip was an amazing experience that I would one day like to repeat, until then this image and others form that trip will stay in my heart and mind reminding me of the wonderful time I had while in Rwanda.

To see more images from this trip take a look at the original blog post “Into the heart of Africa” from my trip back in October of 2008.

(Click on image for larger view)

A little while back my buddy Joe (pictured above) allowed me to grab a few quick portraits of him.  Unfortunately for my family and friends, they often become the subject of my photographic whim.

All of these images where shot in my small 1 bed room apartment, with 2 speedlights. The setup was rather simple, subject standing approximately 12 inches from white wall, with an SB-800 camera left at 45 degree angle over subjects face in conjunction with a smaller SB-600 camera right also positioned at 45 degrees over subject.

Image details:

• Camera: Nikon D300
• Lens: Nikkor 18-200mm VRII
• Aperture: f5.6
• Shutter: 1/60s
• ISO: 200

Click images for larger view.

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This was my first skydive and it was an incredible experience. It was some of the most fun I have ever had, a truly amazing adrenaline rush. I can’t thank the team at Skydive Tecumseh enough, they were really cool, professional, and fun. When we got to the airfield we were able to watch the plane-load ahead of us depart and all the jumpers land safely while we filled out our safety waivers. After that we took a short safety course then suited up in our gear. Once in the airplane it was a short 15 minute ride to our jumping altitude of 14,000 ft. A short walk to the rear of the plane was all that was left before jumping out. Free fall lasted for roughly 40 seconds or so before our canopy was deployed. Once the shoot was open it was a short 5-6 min ride to the bottom. I was pleasantly surprised too feel first hand how easy it is to steer your parachute. We came into the drop zone fast and made a super smooth landing. I could not help but smile from ear to ear, what an amazing experience that I will never forget. And yes, I am ready to go again.

I would seriously recommend Skydive Tecumseh to anyone who wants to experience skydiving.

All Pictures courtesy of Skydive Tecumseh (click for larger view).

When traveling, I always try and take my travel camera kit, and this trip was no exception.  My kit consists of the Lowpro Fastpack 350 which I must say is rather roomy and not only can it hold all of my gear, there is room in the top compartment for a few days worth of clothes.  Inside the bag I had my Nikon D300 with the “never-leave-home-without-it” Nikkor 18-200mm VR lens, a trusty 50mm f1.8 and of course my Nikkor 10.5mm fisheye.  In addition to that I also had an SB-600 and SB-800 with a host of modifiers just in case.