The Sanford Zoo...
The Sanford Zoo, also known as the Central Florida Zoo, is a small yet cozy park, filled with great animals and very photographer friendly. I buy the year pass and show up anytime I want, carrying my bag, tripod and camera like I actually know what I am doing. They don't even flinch as I walk around the park shooting everything in sight. They have some open enclosures that are great for us. The kangaroo enclosure also houses the emus and they are always up for a little modeling. The kangaroos on the other hand seem a bit camera shy and just lay on the shade (usually behind some bushes), so you have to be patient with them. They also have a petting zoo with a llama, some goats, a small cow and some turkeys all used to the modeling situation. The turkeys are especially fun to shoot because they are so damn ugly.
You can walk up to the elephant enclosure and catch them doing what they do best. Eating and standing around doing nothing else. Well, every once in a while they poop, so there you go. Versatility at its best.
They have an open enclosure for the porcupines but those lazy buggers are always hiding under a rock. I haven't gotten a good shot in 2 years of going there. Very frustrating... They also have a cheetah enclosure with Plexiglas viewing but the cats don’t get close enough and it’s very hard to focus thru the glass in the open like that. So no luck for me. Sigh/
My favorite place is their serpentarium. If you get really lucky you have the place all to yourself and you can spend some time with your macro lens, the tripod and some of the most venomous beasts known to mankind. (I actually got the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as I type this). The snakes are in their own enclosure with thick glass between you and them but every time I go there I still get freaked out.
They also have a few gators and lots of other cool beasts but most of them in cages that are not photo friendly. I also like walking around their swamp walkway. You get a few interesting shots back there.
The food leaves a lot to be desired. I imagine a hot dog is a hot dog, but for some reason I always expect a little better variety on the menu at these places and never get it. Leave it to me to complain about a hot dog... lol.
You can walk up to the elephant enclosure and catch them doing what they do best. Eating and standing around doing nothing else. Well, every once in a while they poop, so there you go. Versatility at its best.
They have an open enclosure for the porcupines but those lazy buggers are always hiding under a rock. I haven't gotten a good shot in 2 years of going there. Very frustrating... They also have a cheetah enclosure with Plexiglas viewing but the cats don’t get close enough and it’s very hard to focus thru the glass in the open like that. So no luck for me. Sigh/
My favorite place is their serpentarium. If you get really lucky you have the place all to yourself and you can spend some time with your macro lens, the tripod and some of the most venomous beasts known to mankind. (I actually got the hairs on the back of my neck standing up as I type this). The snakes are in their own enclosure with thick glass between you and them but every time I go there I still get freaked out.
They also have a few gators and lots of other cool beasts but most of them in cages that are not photo friendly. I also like walking around their swamp walkway. You get a few interesting shots back there.
The food leaves a lot to be desired. I imagine a hot dog is a hot dog, but for some reason I always expect a little better variety on the menu at these places and never get it. Leave it to me to complain about a hot dog... lol.