FORT WORTH ZOO PHOTOS

Click on any photo to see it in large size:

American Pink Flamingos
One Tusk Elephant

Lesser Flamingo

Gerenuks

Elephant eating bamboo sticks

Eagle Claws

White Bengal Tiger
Lion Cub
Lessur Kudu Antelope
Lesser Flamingo
Asian Brown Mountain Tortoise
American Pink Flamingo
Lessur Kudu Antelope & Abyssian Ground Hornbill
American Pink Flamingo
Silver Back Gorilla
Gerenuk
Lion Cub

FORT WORTH ZOO: Sleepy Kitty

When me and a buddy went to the Fort Worth Zoo there were TONS of freakin' kids out there, musta been 30 school buses in the parking lot. I was thinking I'd probably come down with the swine flu 'cause of those little bastards.

I told my fellow photog that I'd rather be on the other side with animals instead of being run past and knocked around by the human animals that were EVERYWHERE on our side.

But that's me. I love animals and hate humanity. Like my literary father figure, Charles Bukowski, said, "Humanity. You never had it from the beginning."

Go to the zoo sometime and you'll know what he means.

When we got to the lion area the big ol' boy, the King of the Jungle, was up on this rock sound asleep (click on photo for a closer look). Some kid said, "He needs to wake up." Which made me say, not too loud but loud enough for people within 10 feet of me to hear, "Yeah, if one of these parents would throw one of their fucking kids into the lion den that'd make him wake the fuck up."

Then, as I was zooming in and focusing my camera on the big ol' boy's face, I heard this little girl's voice.

She said, "You're a naughty man."

The truth, at last.

FORT WORTH ZOO: American Pink Flamingo

I thought this shot of an American Pink Flamingo ruled. I took it when I went to the Fort Worth Zoo, one of the world's best, with a fellow photographer from work and I ended up taking 214 shots in the hour and one half we were there. Had a great time taking shots of lions, a white tiger, elephants, birds, giraffes, antelope, rhinos, gorillas, etc.

I never seen a shot of a pink flamingo like this, have you? A straight on shot. Look at the intensity in those eyes (click on the photo to see the large size).

As far as photography goes I don't think of all the so-called rules, dude, because I don't care about the rules of photography. I don't think composition. I don't think about "the right time of day" to shoot a photograph. I don't "scout" out my "shoots" days in advance. I don't worry about that bull-friggin'-school taught-crap. All that schooling does is place limitations on your own creativity because you're thinking instead of doing.

The only thing I think about is this: I pick up my weapon of choice, the magnificent Nikon D700 full-frame digital SLR, aim it at whatever it is I want to take an image of and push down on the shutter button when I feel it's the right time. The "rule of thirds"? The "zoning" techniques and all that other technical mumbo gumbo photography nonsense I read all the time in photo mags? I have no use at all for any of it.

A guy at work said, like others at work have said when they've looked at the 8X10 photos I put up on my cubicle wall (hey, it's gallery space), "You have got a very good eye."

Yeah, I know I do. Why. I'm a very visual person. I was born with it. Charles Bukowski said we're "born into this" life without a choice but I do know that we're also born into this life with certain skills. Look, I'm not trying to brag here --- even though I am --- but it's a God given ability that I can shoot some terrific photos. I was blessed with a creative gene and I use that motherfucker the best I can. I take my art seriously.

Just as seriously as that pink flamingo is staring at me.