Family Portraits at the Phoenix Zoo | The Dowdys

One of my favorite families contacted me to shoot some family portraits at the Phoenix Zoo. This is a location I have always wanted to shoot. I have been photographing the Dowdys for a few years now going back to when little Avery was just one year old.

Fun Time Shooting Family Portraits at the Phoenix Zoo

Shooting at the zoo opens up a world of opportunity when it comes to photographs. There are many animals and different looks one can choose. For the Dowdy’s I decided to make our way over towards the petting zoo to get some fun candids. Given the ages of Avery and Colton I figured this would be the easiest approach for everyone involved. We had about an hour before the zoo closed so we grabbed a few family shots on the way over to take advantage of the light and scenery.

Once we arrived at the petting zoo lady luck smiled on us. It wasn’t too crowded which allowed for more shots without all the crowds being in the way. The zoo attendant let us into the petting area and after a quick review of the rules we were in the middle of the goats. These goats were absolutely adorable and warmed right up to the kids. I made my way over to one of the corners of the area so I could be out of the way yet still be able to grab some fun candids. Using my telephoto lens I hid in the corners and slowly moved around to catch some different angles of the petting action. What a fun way to capture my clients just enjoying a day at the zoo. We wrapped up with a family shot on the way out. I’m definitely looking forward to shooting more family portraits at the Phoenix Zoo in the near future.