I have always had an affinity for tigers, so I suppose it wouldn’t be unusual that another big cat caught my attention. I love their fierceness, their strength, and their stunning eyes. When I saw her, that is what I wanted to capture. There is a haunting sadness to her, as if she’s longing to run free*. She takes my breath away with her beauty.
So far since using the camera I got myself for Christmas, this image is one that I am actually proud of. I knew when I took the shots that these were the ones I was most wanted to see because I just felt there was something about them. The only editing I did was to crop it. It was taken at Brookfield Zoo on December 26th, a relatively warm day (50 degrees) for Chicagoland winter. Jason took me and our friend April out to practice taking shots – we both got the Canon EOS Rebel T6. He’s had his camera (Canon D7) for years and really knows his stuff. I am impressed with what he taught us and how much work there is involved, yet at the same time, it was really exciting to put it into practice. I’ve taken a ton of pictures with my phone, but none are as rewarding as the ones I took with my new camera.
*I support the zoo, but I don’t like that their area is so small. It’s an inner battle I have with myself because I know a lot of zoos do good work and are protecting and saving many of the animals that live in them, but I wish they could be free and not be hunted. Hopefully one day this world will let that happen….
I understand your comment about the zoo. I support our local zoo as well, but on the other hand, I wish they didn’t have to live in captivity. The problem with that is that for the most part, this is all these animals know. How will they be able to take care of themselves when they’ve always been cared for? You would hope instinct would kick in, but don’t trust it would.
Instead of zoos though, I wish these would become Animal Sanctuaries instead – places that can take animals that have been harmed through the heartlessness or carelessness of others. Perfect example would be the bear cub that had to be put down because visitors at Yellowstone saw it and put it in the back of their car to take to a ranger station. Granted, the animal would still be in captivity, but at least it’s an alternative to the senseless killing of an animal.
I totally agree with you Dev. I think sanctuaries are a great alternative to zoos, because they are there to protect the animals but still let them live as they would in the wild. I would definitely support something if the US decided to go that route. Let’s hope it does.