Until the recently, I hadn't been to the Los Angeles Zoo for two decades. In the last month I’ve been there five times. A renewed interest in photography and the new generation of equipment made me look for a good testing ground. A model shoot is not the right time or place to be learning a new lens, and the availability and variety of subjects at the zoo allows you to try everything from Telephoto to Wide Angle to Macro - the options are limitless.
The first visit can be frustrating; try waiting two hours for a Sumatra Tiger to move… They move when they want to. After a couple of chats with the animal handlers, and in my case running into a nice and zoo knowledgeable fellow photographer (thank you MickiP65 on Flickr) you get a feel for when the different animals are active, when the light will be right for each of the critter domains, and testing starts running smoothly. It becomes enjoyable instead of a grind. If the animals cooperate, and they do definitely have minds of their own, you can get some nice shot as you get the hang of the equipment.
On the subject of equipment… I should give a nod to Woodland Hills Camera and manager Scott Bloom, who I’ve been dealing with lately. Many local camera stores are feeling the effects of the economy, the digital revolution (competing with the national retailers) and are closing their doors, letting inventory get thin, or letting staff go, and usually and unfortunately, the highest paid and most
experienced are the first to go. Woodland Hills Camera has been able to avoid these problems, and Scott is very experienced, willing and able to give advice, and has a strong dislike for having to say “No” when asked if a piece of equipment is in stock.
Other stores in my area of L.A. are lean on inventory and have resorted to having one unit which they shuttle around to the various stores when a customer asks for it. I saw one Canon Telephoto, the same exact unit, at three different branches of a mini-chain, and it’s box (and I assume the lens also) was more tattered and banged up each time I saw it from being bounced around from store to store in the transfer shuttle. Not the way I want to buy a new Canon L-Series high range zoom lens.
To make a long story short (too late?), I’ve never had Scott say no when I’ve asked if something is in stock, he always has multiple units so you can feel the factory freshness of your new lens, body, or whatever. Also, pricing is competitive, in fact the lens cost less from Scott than at the place with the Beater/ Shuttle Transfer unit. Enough on this… suffice it to say that if you want a good place to shop you may want to give Scott a visit or a call.
This will be easy... Tom Museeuw's work in great. I ran across his images while looking for info on the California Sunbounce Reflector product line, and his images and videos grabbed me. A combination of fun, flair, and a unique approach results in a style that's all his own. A quote from his colleague Bert Stephani (another excellent photographer) helps understand his style...
