Follow the White Rabbit
My friend and creative partner Frank (of Frank Aymami Photography) gave me a crash course on photography today over a cup of coffee (him) and a pastry (myself). I’ve been fiddling around with my first DSLR for the past couple of months on my own, but tips and techniques from a professional are definitely required and greatly appreciated. After learning some basics, I ventured out on my own to Lafreniere Park, currently my favorite spot to shoot animals and the best darn thing about Metairie. Seriously. It’s like a mini zoo there, but I’ve said that before. It just needs some honey badgers and elk, and they’d be set.
As I walked through the children’s garden, a white rabbit jumped out from seemingly nowhere.
I took this picture with my Droid Bionic, then posted it to Facebook and Twitter, asking, “Should I follow the white rabbit?” The unanimous answer was, “YES. ALWAYS.”
So, I did.
And this is what I found.
No, down here…
I’ve named him Dirty Hare-y, the Elder Rabbit. This dude straight up has a BEARD. And a toupee, it seems. He also has a coat like a wooly mammoth. I just don’t know what’s up with this guy. Is he old? A hipster?
This photo does Dirty Hare-y no justice, as I apparently suck at determining what setting I should use for light metering, but check out his gnarly clumps of fur. No, he is not sitting in a pile of dog doody. That’s his fur. Now you know why I called him Dirty.
Dirty Hare-y allowed me to photograph him for a bit, then the white rabbit jumped back out and wanted some time with the lens.
Of course, I didn’t just see rabbits. (Click the images for more detail.)
I spotted a variety of fowl. These babies hung out for a while so I could get some decent shots.
This beautiful black mama was guarding her eggs.
I also saw a ton of turtles.
And I saw flowers.
If 87 photos of park wildlife aren’t enough for you, I’ve added more to the gallery below.
I can has a cat portrait from youz?
Could we get them to sit still long enough?
Your photos look great. Amazing what a good camera and some knowledge can do when taking photos. I especially like the Skittles bag under the duck’s foot. For some reason, that makes that photo for me.
Thanks, Scott!
Maybe her babies will come out in colors of the rainbow
She had a few pieces of trash in her nest, and there isn’t much elsewhere throughout the bird sanctuary, so I am thinking she actually pulled that stuff to build her babies a bed. I don’t know much (ok, really nothing at all) about birds, so this is only a guess.
You did great, Leslie!
Thanks, Frank, and thanks for your assistance!