Nature From a FLA wildlife sanctuary

From a FLA wildlife sanctuary · 06:47 AM

While in Florida we visited a sanctuary that takes in exotics from little roadside zoos, private citizens, and some local wildlife found injured. They are licensed and all the animals are very well kept. Access is strictly by tour, no wandering on your own, and no tripods or monopods allowed. Here are some of the better shots, some of which are X-posted on another thread (alphabet race).

1. emerald (or green) tree boa
2. gopher tortoise - endangered in Florida (too many cars)
3. African conure (aka grey parrot)
4. puma (aka cougar, mountain lion, catamount, etc.)
5 & 6 two tigers. The snarly one is an adult male in a cage with two young females who keep flirting with him, and he doesn't like it!. Go figure. I never had his problem.

Later I'll put in a post v-a-v some of the photo problems encountered.

**Bob Harris** · 04-23-2012, 12:27 PM

enjoyable to series to view, what a shot of the boa you got. Love the tigers, but the mountain lion is my favorite, what eyes they have. TFS, Bob

**WPRESTO** · 04-23-2012, 02:27 PM

Originally posted by Bob Harris

enjoyable to series to view, what a shot of the boa you got. Love the tigers, but the mountain lion is my favorite, what eyes they have. TFS, Bob

I also like pumas among the big cats, second only, perhaps, to the clouded leopard. Puma's don't have the massive skull of a lion or tiger, so the face is a bit more "dainty." They're supposed to be the largest cats that purr, but I've never heard one do so. It's a sure thing that the glaring puma here was not purring. Wish I could have used a smaller stop to get the boa's nose in focus as well as his eyes. Tried a small stop (f11) with flash, but the result was way too flat, no texture on the scales, which is what makes part of this image.

sam-joseph · 04-24-2012, 03:43 AM

Poor old turtle and bird don't look too happy in the middle of all the bitey creatures. The tiger ones are good.

Regards

**WPRESTO** · 04-24-2012, 04:24 AM

Originally posted by sam-joseph

Poor old turtle and bird don't look too happy in the middle of all the bitey creatures. The tiger ones are good.

Regards

Agreed, although they are located well away from the kitties. The tortoise suffered some injury on the road. The parrot, as I remember, was from a private home and has a nasty personality - he bites!

**WPRESTO** · 04-24-2012, 04:04 PM

Here are three unprocessed original images. The chain link fence behind the big cats was bad enough, but shooting through that fence was hopeless. The cage in front of the conure was in deep shade, so it wasn't too visible, but that sunlit galvanized fence between lens and tigers left its nasty imprint on every picture. Consequently the heavy PP.

**Bruce Clark** · 04-25-2012, 02:47 AM

Good images given the conditions. An early teacher of mine (pre-digital Pentax user), said a photographer should carry bolt-cutters, a chainsaw and an angle-grinder in his kit to clear up visual pollution like this. Probably not a great idea around big cats though.

**WPRESTO** · 04-25-2012, 03:41 AM

Originally posted by Bruce Clark

Good images given the conditions. An early teacher of mine (pre-digital Pentax user), said a photographer should carry bolt-cutters, a chainsaw and an angle-grinder in his kit to clear up visual pollution like this. Probably not a great idea around big cats though.

As a pre-digital, pre-built-in-meter, pre-automatic-diaphragm Pentax user, I know just what that teacher meant. What all of us wanted, but the manufacturers couldn't seem to supply, was a telephone pole/wire filter that would remove those destroyers of decent scenics. Now we have it! I still have not mastered Topaz remask. The smooth body of the parrot turns out well, but the fuzzy edges of the cats instantly reveal my clumsy PP.

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04-24-2012, 04:04 PM	#6
WPRESTO Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 59,107 Original Poster	Here are three unprocessed original images. The chain link fence behind the big cats was bad enough, but shooting through that fence was hopeless. The cage in front of the conure was in deep shade, so it wasn't too visible, but that sunlit galvanized fence between lens and tigers left its nasty imprint on every picture. Consequently the heavy PP. Last edited by WPRESTO; 05-31-2012 at 10:10 AM.

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04-23-2012, 12:27 PM	#2
Bob Harris Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Canon City, Colorado Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 18,477	enjoyable to series to view, what a shot of the boa you got. Love the tigers, but the mountain lion is my favorite, what eyes they have. TFS, Bob

04-23-2012, 02:27 PM	#3
WPRESTO Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 59,107 Original Poster	Originally posted by Bob Harris enjoyable to series to view, what a shot of the boa you got. Love the tigers, but the mountain lion is my favorite, what eyes they have. TFS, Bob I also like pumas among the big cats, second only, perhaps, to the clouded leopard. Puma's don't have the massive skull of a lion or tiger, so the face is a bit more "dainty." They're supposed to be the largest cats that purr, but I've never heard one do so. It's a sure thing that the glaring puma here was not purring. Wish I could have used a smaller stop to get the boa's nose in focus as well as his eyes. Tried a small stop (f11) with flash, but the result was way too flat, no texture on the scales, which is what makes part of this image.

04-24-2012, 03:43 AM	#4
sam-joseph Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Newcastle, NSW, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,086	Poor old turtle and bird don't look too happy in the middle of all the bitey creatures. The tiger ones are good. Regards

04-24-2012, 04:24 AM	#5
WPRESTO Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 59,107 Original Poster	Originally posted by sam-joseph Poor old turtle and bird don't look too happy in the middle of all the bitey creatures. The tiger ones are good. Regards Agreed, although they are located well away from the kitties. The tortoise suffered some injury on the road. The parrot, as I remember, was from a private home and has a nasty personality - he bites!

04-25-2012, 02:47 AM	#7
Bruce Clark Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Ocean Grove, Victoria Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,458	Good images given the conditions. An early teacher of mine (pre-digital Pentax user), said a photographer should carry bolt-cutters, a chainsaw and an angle-grinder in his kit to clear up visual pollution like this. Probably not a great idea around big cats though.

04-25-2012, 03:41 AM	#8
WPRESTO Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 59,107 Original Poster	Originally posted by Bruce Clark Good images given the conditions. An early teacher of mine (pre-digital Pentax user), said a photographer should carry bolt-cutters, a chainsaw and an angle-grinder in his kit to clear up visual pollution like this. Probably not a great idea around big cats though. As a pre-digital, pre-built-in-meter, pre-automatic-diaphragm Pentax user, I know just what that teacher meant. What all of us wanted, but the manufacturers couldn't seem to supply, was a telephone pole/wire filter that would remove those destroyers of decent scenics. Now we have it! I still have not mastered Topaz remask. The smooth body of the parrot turns out well, but the fuzzy edges of the cats instantly reveal my clumsy PP.