What’s the deal with animals?

I don’t know why I like to photograph animals as much as I do---my kids feel the same way. They are tiring of going to the zoo countless times, and even our dog seems to run away once the trust Nikon comes out. But, for some reason there is something about animals that captures my imagination.

I would have to say my favorite animal to photograph would be a giraffe. These graceful creatures are so tall, yet unlike many of the NBA players who are over 7 feet tall, they are completely in sync with the flow of their bodies; since most of us has seen one, we know they gracefully move in a rhythm unlike many other animals, or humans, I personally have seen. The one thing I have noticed about giraffes, from afar, is their very human-like ways of expressing love. When a baby giraffe, or calf, is introduced into a heard, the mother is extremely protective; yes she gives it distance at times, but she also makes sure she knows at all times its location.

I really don’t see this with many other animals---for example, one “Snap. Shot.” entry had a photo of a female tiger and her two cubs. Her male counterpart, just a few weeks later, killed one of the cubs. Zoo officials were horrified---yet there were jobs lost because it is well known the male tiger is very jealous.

In other “Snap. Shots,” we saw photos of orangutans, lions, eagles, Cash our dog, and many other non-humans. What was fun about writing about this was there was always a story; from the love of the mother orangutan and her little baby to the bald eagle almost not being America’s bird to one of my favorites---describing how our dog Cash is no angel. Although written many months ago, I am happy to report, nothing has changed---Cash is still a goofy Boxer.

The photo above is one of my recent favorites. Taken at the zoo in Philadelphia, I had a break in between meetings, and took photos of the release of the new baby giraffe to the public. It was broadcast on the radio that day, and when I saw the zoo was a few minutes away, figured this was much more important than lunch. I believe I was right. There is much to love about animals; I always make sure to capture it as best as I can, as long as I am behind a lens and the railing.

Thanks for stopping by.