It’s not the size of the boat…
It’s the motion of the ocean. Now I’m not one for phallic inferiority. Mainly because I never look, be it in the gym’s changing room or standing at the urinals, it’s just wrong. Ok I think this is getting a bit off-topic, time for a rapid U-turn or as the sibling so sweetly puts it, ‘flip a bitch.’ Last Saturday I woke up bright and early, admittedly not my most favourite thing to do on a Saturday but there you go. I swung by N’s place, picked his tousled head up and drove down to San Diego to visit the Wild Animal Park for a spot of photography.
Now usually wherever I go with my camera I get a few oohs and aahs, especially if I have my 70-200 F4 L (see below) which is long (hehe) and white (hmm…that just sounds wrong). I’ve even had people make way for me as they think I’m a pro, though with my usual attire of scruffy jeans, uncombed hair and flip flops I’m not sure what gives them that impression.
Unfortunately N blew my lens completely out of the water by renting the Sigma 50-500mm (see below). The damn thing was like a tank buster, approached Ron Jeremy proportions and made everybody in close proximity to it swoon. There was even a girl with a nice but, nice top and a questionable face (hey that’s why the phrase ‘cover the face, work the base’ was invented) who couldn’t take her eyes off it. N off course in true style couldn’t help hamming it, playing the pro. I did note with some amusement that his hands were shaking with the effort of holding the lens up, size isn’t everything I guess.
Size and weight aside damn did that lens get close, 200mm felt so inadequate. After seeing how close he got I think my next purchase is going to be the Canon 100-400mm IS lens, wait no I have to buy a flash first…oh but a macro. Bugger this photography business is expensive. Mental note to eat cheerios for the rest of the year and save all my money.
Anyways to cut a rambling post short it was a fun day. I took around a 1000 pictures, groveled on the floor of an aviary to take some of a brightly coloured bird, much to the surprise of some of the park’s patrons and saw a plethora of Lamborghini’s on the drive to there and back (and almost blew my engine out trying to keep up with one, note to self: RAV4 vs. Mucielago is not really a contest…ever). N only took around 180 apparently because he isn’t as trigger happy as me, well each to their own technique I guess.
There was one grip I had and it’s a gripe I have with most animal pictures. Why do they always, always from Gerenuks to Gorillas, have to face away from the camera? I mean I’m an ass man myself, but this is not what I had in mind.

Lol! I SO know what you mean I’ve got hundreds of elephant-butt photos to prove it!
Comment by Darwin — June 12, 2007 @ 7:16 am
I don’t know how it is at the zoo but at wildlife parks the butt problem comes up only with deers and sometimes peacocks. Rarely with most other animals. Maybe it’s due to the fact that my family has a habit of not leaving the side of an elephant until it comes and kicks the vehicle and tells us to leave.
Those are nice lenses. I am simply not strong enough to lug them around so it’s as far as the zoom works.
Comment by sach — June 12, 2007 @ 8:56 am
Funny pic though! Can’t believe u still went ahead and took a shot..;-)
Comment by Lady divine — June 12, 2007 @ 9:57 am
Darwin - Glad to know its not only me!
Sach - what does an elephant kick feel like? And yes both those lenses are bloody heavy,especially after lugging it around for a few hours.
LD - had to take a pic of something right?;)
Comment by childof25 — June 13, 2007 @ 4:07 am
70-200 F4 L -> how much did you pay for it?
Comment by shehal — June 22, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
It was not too expensive…actually looking at other lenses it was pretty cheap…around $450 I guess. Check B&H online, very good site.
Comment by childof25 — June 23, 2007 @ 12:04 am