UWOL 25 - Why A Zoo? - By Bob Thieda

[Bob Thieda]

Marj, thanks for the kind words.

I believe this one turned out well for me because I was sharing my deep, personal conflicts about zoos. My Grandfather would take me to that zoo as a young child and I remember that as a time of wonder. Now I look into the eyes of the animals and feel much sadness.

That was not a GoPro in those shots, it was a 7.5mm Ultra Wide Fisheye on my GH2, which would be 15mm on a full frame DSLR. I wanted to try it in this film. I think it worked well with the coral reef tank and the dolphin tank, not so good in the rain forest exhibit.

Thanks again for taking the time to critique my work.

[Lorinda Norton]

Originally Posted by Bob Thieda

Now I look into the eyes of the animals and feel much sadness.

Exactly how I have felt, Bob...until your video. You did a fabulous job of swinging my thinking from the negative to a more positive outlook. I was right there with you when you said, "Even the nicest cage is still a cage," then you swung my head around with the notion that zoos help children develop belief that "all animal life should be respected and protected." You deftly twisted the theme to show how contracted horizons of the wildlife in zoos expand ours, with the ultimate goal of protecting future generations of theirs. Well done!

[Bob Thieda]

Thank you Lorinda for your comments. I am glad you enjoyed the video, and I am glad to see I got my story across.
This was an idea I've been thinking about for sometime, just waiting for an opportunity to try it. I think the gestation period helped greatly. Perhaps if I had more time with my new camera, and didn't have to rush the edit, it may have been technically better, but the heart was there.

Thanks again!