Wildlife photography, you either love it or hate it. Most of the time I hate it. It can be so frustrating and most of the time I shoot quantity over quality.
But occasionally I get something I like, like this Meerkat. OK! It’s shot in a zoo, but it can be just as demanding there to get a good one, You still get movement, but usually you can get a little closer, which helps a great deal. But is it wildlife photography?
Say It With A Camera 
Wildlife is indeed very hard to capture and can be a load of frustration when you have to delete a hundred for one but it is well worth its beauty 🙂
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It’s that one that makes the difference
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My honest view. No its not wildlife photography because the subject is captive. That doesn’t make it a bad picture – on the contrary it is excellent and I have also had fun photographing meerkats in a zoo. If you disclose the fact that it is a captive animal there is no ethical challenge if you wish to call it wildlife. For stock photo purchasers they probably don’t care where it was shot. Interesting question though.
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Taking the question a bit furthers, Andrew. If I shoot a bird in an RSPB Reserve, is it still wildlife? Perhaps “shoot” is the wrong word here but you get my meaning.
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No doubt in my mind, yes, Mike. Birds are free to roam from an RSPB reserve. The habitat is optimised for them but there are no restrictions.
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I’m planning a visit soon to my nearest reserve which is at Conwy. Waiting to see what winter visitors have arrived.
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Our migration has just started. The Paradise Flycatchers are moving through and some waders returning. Still slow though. Not many ducks yet. Good luck at Conwy. I’ll be ‘home’ in Caerphilly in one month 😀
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In a zoo or in the wild or whether it is easy or difficult to take, it is a great picture.
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Thank you..
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Well, Mike it is wild and it has life… Joking here. Even though you had to work hard to get that beautiful pic of the meercat it does not, in my opinion, qualify as photographed wildlife. But it is an extremely good photo of the meercat. You did real justice to this sweet little animal.
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That’s the way I look at it Yvonne. I’ve seen some pictures, supposedly taken in the wild, but when you look at the EXIF data you just know they could never get the photograph with the lens they have attached to the camera
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A great shot! Whether taken in a zoo or otherwise, there is still an art in capturing that special moment!
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Zoos do make it easier as the animals are more used to seeing people and you can get that little bit closer
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