On Easter weekend the family traveled down to North Carolina to visit some friends that recently moved to the Charlotte area. Whenever I travel I like to visit the regional zoos to photograph the animals. This trip we went to the North Carolina Zoo.The NC zoo is a nice location and has several species of animals that are not seen at the local National Zoo. Some of the highlights are the Polar bears, chimps, and a large African savanna area.
The zoo is laid out nicely and you walk along a 5 mile trail from one end of the park to the other. At the far end they have a shuttle bus to take you back to the front.
My biggest complaint is the hours of operation. They open at 9AM and you only have an hour or so before the animals sack out to sleep for the rest of the day. I have a similar complaint for most zoos and is one reason why I like the National Zoo so much. When I go to the Nat Zoo I'm usually there at 7AM and leave before noon.
Several of the animals are behind glass, which makes it difficult to photograph. The key is to try and shoot straight through the glass rather than at an angle. It also helps to block out reflected light by draping your jacket around the lens. A selection of photos from this trip have been put up on my flickr site.
