If you want to see some serious camera rigs you have to check out the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park. On any given day you will see a bunch of old dudes wearing khaki vests, Crocodile Dundee hats and hauling around enough camera gear to finance a minor-league baseball team. I can’t blame them though. The San Diego Zoo is an amazing place to take animal pictures and an excuse to have a big lens in your bag.

Ginette, Dayla, and I headed to the Wild Animal Park yesterday morning and had the place pretty much to ourselves. It was the first sunny day in a week and the animals were all out enjoying the dry weather. Here are a few pictures from our morning. Unlike people you can actually take decent pictures of animals in full sun.

For the camera nerds these were all shot with a Canon 5d and the 70-200 F4 (non-IS). I had to bump the ISO more than I prefer to in the shadier areas. Makes me want the IS lens…

Giraffes Aren't So Tall

Giraffe (I love the alternating diagnols with the palm trees)

Protecting the Nest

Lounging Cheetah

Lorikeets on a Log

Meerkats Peering at the Sun