A shot this clear in the environment of a bustling reptile house, with reflective glass between me and this subject, would not have been possible with the Fujifilm 7000. It was a cinch with the Big Cahoona.
This is a ledge in one of the smaller snake exhibits of the reptile house. I always enjoy seeing the snakes and going to the reptile house because there is personal history for me in that place. And, amazingly, it has remained virtually unchanged in the 46 years since I first laid eyes upon the brass cobra that greets visitors at its entrance.
The sun was in just the right position to make these little balls stand out on the trees. However, the picture turned out to be way too busy, and they got lost among the branches and greenery.
Through these trees you see the backdrop of the sign at the entrance of the African Forest.
This was taken at the bear exhibit...
Encountered these flowers en route to somewhere...
My little brother was over this past weekend, and we decided to go to the zoo on a clear, cool day...a rarity in Houston. I brought along the Big Cahoona.
These angles and curves could not be resisted as a last, parting shot...
As can be seen here, by the time we left the fog had completely lifted...
This picture is posted not because it is a quality photo, but because this must be the coolest 18-wheeler on the planet - a giant grill.
Some at the Rodeo obviously were not Nikon fans...
The metadata tells me that this was taken one minute after the picture from the previous posting, so must have been immediately after the people on the ride were brought back down. That means also that it was taken from about the same spot, only zoomed all the way in (6x optical on the 7000)...
The first time I really looked at the D300 was at the Houston Camera Exchange on Richmond here in town. I had gone shooting with a friend that owned one and compared his images with those taken of the same subject with the Fujifilm 7000, and was not exactly impressed. So later on at the camera store I asked the sales guy to do the same thing, having brought my 7000. He went outside and took a picture of some buildings in the distance with both cameras. The difference was obvious when they were compared on a computer screen inside the store. However, the 7000's color was a little better...due to the in-camera software, the sales guy said.
Every once in a while he would bow his head and sleep for a few seconds...
The hatchery is always a favorite stop for the kids. This little guy is just minutes old, egg tooth still in place...
A pretty good gimmick, placing this guy on the ride...
A quick check of the tracks before the day begins...
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This was snapped from the other side, within the gates. Now that the fog had lifted some, it was time to take advantage of the vibrant colors seen everywhere...
This marks only the second black and white photo posted in this blog. Interestingly, the other one was of a roller coaster in a similar-type venue. Experimenting in Photoshop Elements 7.0, I discovered the many options that can be explored in converting to black-and-white.
This one was darkened a bit to bring out the tower in the background...
The colors came out a bit better after getting close...
The nearby trees were used for perspective, depth-of-field manipulation, and of course to take a picture of something through something...
As of today's posting it is rodeo season here in Houston - big time. And if you can take the crowds, rodeo time in Houston is a bonanza for photographers, amateurs and professionals alike. I don't like big crowds, but will put up with them to take advantage of those opportunities - from the trail rides on the way into town, to the carnival and food vendors on the way into the facilities, to the livestock and breeders' shows, to the musical performances. Not to mention the rodeo itself, which I guess is what started the whole thing some time back.
The sun was low, which helped on shots like this...
The even cascade of water allowed me to take this picture of our family van, as through a curtain...
This is the hub from which the spokes of the fountain originate. Even at 1/120 second exposure, the movement of the water is fast enough to produce the streaking that you see.
In the spirit of taking pictures of things through things...
Jumping back to 2007, and the use of a different camera. This fountain is located alongside the Allen Parkway just west of downtown Houston. One day I made a dedicated trip just to capture this guy with my trusty 'ole Fujifilm Finepix 3800 point-and-shoot.
Now for a couple of non-animal pictures...