The first shot is a straight shot and the second is cropped and PS. This is another angle of this beautiful cat I have posted previously. He almost looks unreal to me.
Yes, these are zoo shots. I am not sure how you feel about this kind of wildlife photography but I suppose this is the forum to tell.

Hi Peggy Sue,

They are indeed very well done photographs with what appears to be perfect lighting. I have no problem with zoo shots as long as they are labeled as such. Of the two pics, I prefer the top one the most (even though I like the crop on the 2nd). It appears to have a bit warmer on the head, and I think it gives a more appealing image. When I look at the first image, it almost looks 3D.

James

well done, nice shots, i prefer the first as well. I think it's okay to photography whatever you want so long as if it's captive, you say its captive. A good photo of any critter is a good photo!

I mostly agree with possum, zoos really are bitter sweet. If I had my way, I'd say NO wild animals in zoos. you ever see a polar bear in a zoo, how about a grizzly or a monkey, or a bird, for heavens sake, we know enough about them just let them live at home, their home. . .

Judi and Tony,
This was the type of discussion I was hoping for. I too, have always had a hard time with this issue. I also have difficulty with safari hunting both with camera and guns. So, in order to get the images we want to tell the stories, how do we do that? I have supported Ducks Unlimited by donating paintings, but I do not have to shoot in order to support some of the mission. I have been a state licensed wildlife rehabilitator, where I know humans cause most of the misery to the animals.
My way to try to earn money to help the animals is to paint and photograph them. How do we do that without affecting them? When I first started with this site, I asked if people would like to help wildlife. I did find a site that I hope will provide us with a outlet to make a difference.
Art4Critters.com
If anyone has knowledge of this group - please let me ( us) know. I thank you for those of you who said you would donate work. We are still working on a way to help the raptors.

Thanks for the critique on the image.

Hi Peggy Sue,

When we had the Habitat forum, things like this came up periodically. I hear the complaints about zoos - I feel very much the same way. They are both very sad, yet, I fear a necessary evil as we are taking up the space of all the other wild things.

"My way to try to earn money to help the animals is to paint and photograph them. How do we do that without affecting them? When I first started with this site, I asked if people would like to help wildlife. I did find a site that I hope will provide us with a outlet to make a difference. "

Unfortunately, I don't think that we can really photograph them and not have an impact on them. However, with all things, it is all about balance. i.e. is what you are doing causing more harm than good? Having spent more than a few periods in Yellowstone, I would say that some folks are very good about it and others are not. Some might even consider Yellowstone a giant petting zoo - at least if you see some of the tourists with the elk and buffalo.

As to the site that you just linked, I have never heard of them. The site looks interesting though and I will be doing a bit more digging around there myself. One thing I noticed, the site has not been updated since August of this year (or does not appear to have been updated). I wish that their mission statement was a bit more clear, and that they said where moneys donated were actually going (and exactly how much).

James