Before you ask, no I didn’t not stop in Africa on my cross country trip. I made this photo at the Los Angeles Zoo! I practice my wildlife portraits at zoos, that way I can be prepared when I head into the wild. A good tip for shooting at a zoo is go in the morning, first thing, The animals will be much more active then. Zoo animals tend to nap come mid-day. Also become a member of your local zoo, for one it is a great establishment to support but, a lot of times there are perks for members, like early entrance into the Zoo on certain days. Sometimes you can get access an hour before everyone else. This will payoff big, because the animals will be active, sometimes you may even catch some feedings but, the real advantage is there will be no crowds!
Settings:
ISO 400 : 365mm : 0 ev : ƒ/6.3 : 1/640