Safari Photography: Cohanzick Zoo Edition

Many serious wildlife photographers might scoff at the idea of visiting a zoo to photograph Lions, Tigers, and Bears. Oh My! I decided to travel to the Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton, New Jersey and see what photography I could come away with. 

While I agree it would be an amazing experience to travel around the world to photograph wild animals  in their natural habitat, I admit I'm frugal and I prefer easier destinations to reach.

This zoo is FREE and no airport hassles to deal with. A good way to avoid any crowds-I had the place practically to myself-is to arrive when the gats open at 9:00am.

One of my favorite photos of the day was this portrait below of this spotted leopard. I felt the intense stare of the leopard below at a deep level and was glad that there was secure netting between us.

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Tips To Follow

1. If you can position yourself at the exact right vantage point, fences and nettings will render fully out of focus and will have minimal effect on your animal portrait.
2. Shooting with a long focal length and a wide open lens aperture will give you a narrow enough depth of field to complexly blur out visual distractions between you and your subject.

It's expensive to take a trip to Africa, the Middle East, or Asia to photograph a leopard. Thanks to zoos like the Cohanzick, you don't have to. With a decent lens you can capture some great photos. I wrote this post for you to take a virtual tour of the wildlife at the Cohanzick Zoo and to encourage you to take your own  photographic safari. It took me less than 2 hours to take all of the photos in this article.

With many of the animals it's challenging to photograph your subject without the distractions of the cages, fences, and netting that keeps these critters contained, That doesn't mean you won't have fun and it wonn't prevent you from  getting some nice images to keep.

My Cohanzick Zoo Photography Adventure

The photo of the Asiatic bear below is another example of finding a location where interference between your camera and the subject is minimal. 

Surprisingly, the  subject of photo below is Shuri, who is related to the leopard featured at the beginning of this post. They are sisters and were born on April 25, 2018.

Although perched on a manmade structure with a chain-link fence background, Shuri still looks intimidating in this pose.

Smaller Mammals At CohanzicK Zoo

Sometimes the smaller animals are more active at the zoo and may be easier to photograph than the large animals

Exotic Birds At Cohanzick

The easiest animals to photograph at the Cohanzick Zoo are the free-roaming birds. You'll find them walking around throughout the zoo.  You're more limited in terms of getting unencumbered views of the more exotic species that need to be both contained and protected.

I took quite a few "failure photos" of both the Ring-Necked Pheasant and the Emu before I came away with these "successful" bird photos. The portrait of the Muscovy Duck was easy to get.

Other Photo Opps

In addition to doing wildlife photography when you're visiting the  Cohanzick Zoo, there are photographic opportunities you'll come across.

Remember to shoot some wide views as well as zooming in to some of the close views at the zoo and surrounding areas.

I'm always inclined to get distracted from shooting the wildlife when another attractive subject enters into my field of view.

Fascinating Facts About The Cohanzick Zoo

I like to include a few extra facts about some of the places I travel to and photograph and the Cohanzick Zoo has some interesting things for you to know about. The ideas for the following list was partially generated using artificial intelligence:

The Cohanzick Zoo was New Jersey's first zoo.

• SMALL START.  The zoo started as a home for a displaced herd of deer!   1. Zoo | Bridgeton, NJ www.cityofbridgetonnj.gov
• FREE ADMISSION. Yes, you read that right! Admission to the Cohanzick Zoo is free, making it a budget-friendly destination for families and photographers.
• UNIQUE RESIDENTS. While you might expect the typical animals that most zoos have, the Cohanzick Zoo houses a diverse range of critters from Bengal Tigers to common box turtles. 
• CLOSE ENCOUNTERS.  The zoo is relatively small, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with the animals. - The first zoo of New Jersey - Review of Cohanzick Zoo, Bridgeton, NJ - Tripadvisor www.tripadvisor.com
• HISTORY. The Cohanzick Zoo was named after the Lenape Indians who once inhabited the area. The zoo plays a big part of the history of Bridgeton.

I hope you enjoyed the photo gallery and that my article has inspired you too visit the zoo and take some of your own photos!

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