A silhouette from the underground viewing room of the Seal enclosure – Melbourne Zoo
I rarely visit the seal underground viewing room at Melbourne Zoo. Moving through the chamber is pretty much pitch black and I’m paranoid about falling over and hurting my back which is so fragile.
But other than that, there’s not much to see unless the seals are swimming by in front of the glass window. I turned around after I went up the sloping ramp to find the floor covered with a lovely blue light and visitors silhouetted against the blue water shining in the viewing window.
Now, I wonder, why didn’t the Zoo have visitors walking in the other direction so the floor could be easily seen, instead of the dark, almost invisible path that the current entrance/exit follows?
I took a few photos just before I walked out into the bright sunny day, not sure whether they would turn out, but relieved to get 4 out 4 images when I downloaded them. I quite liked this image below.
I like it too – it’s unusual.
This is very cool Victoria — I like!!
When I get more stable here— and the weather gets a little warmer (below freezing) there is a zoo across street, along with a conservatory and a nature museum down road…. Have been too crazy and symptomatic to consider a visit yet — but thinking of you ~ xxoo Love R
Thanks Robyn. I do hope you can manage to get out doing some photography while you’re staying in the area, but I guess your treatment is the most important thing. Maybe try a short walk without the weight of the DSLR first and see how you manage in a short walk to the zoo, although I warn you that if you aren’t carrying your camera and see some good photography shots to be had, you will regret not carrying the camera – I sure do (on the rare times I go out without it).
I sure do hope this treatment works and helps you to walk better. Lots of Love & Healing Thoughts, Vicki xx
Nice – I like the blues in the image too. Did you leave the WB on auto or shift it to florescent to get that effect?
I think I had it on Auto, Lorri.
It was an unplanned visit to the underground viewing room and I didn’t think to change white balance, I just saw the blue on the floor as I turned around, and pressed the shutter button a few times.
I keep meaning to try those tungsten and fluorescent settings and forget. There’s lots of different settings I vow to use when I get outdoors and then become engrossed in looking for photo subjects and forget to change camera settings – LOL
I do the same, but I saw a post with photos in the snow last week that had a lovely blue hue. I asked the author and she told me that she set the WB on her point and shoot to florescent and it shifted the sunlight to blue. I’ve been meaning to try it.
Perhaps the light varies by direction based on time of day?
It’s a peculiar viewing room. As you leave the outside and come through the entrance, it’s pitch black and you have to feel your way sort of (that is, until you get around the corner and see the water behind the glass). When you turn around and look from the exit, you can see the blue light on the floor much more clearly.
Personally, I think it’s downright dangerous in one section.
You could try writing or calling them. From what you were saying, it would be reasonable for them to swap enter/exit points. Perhaps they’ve never given the problem much thought with their better eyesight, etc. They could be highly receptive to your viewpoint as I’m sure you are not the only visitor who has trouble or concerns about the walk in.
I’m tempted to email the zoo with a few suggestions. After almost 40 visits in 18 months, there’s a few things that could be improved. They’ve shut off the exit path that goes down to the zoo rear exit (after you leave the kangaroo enclosure). It’s downright annoying and tiring to walk all the way around in a long winding path to leave the zoo from this kangaroo/emu area now. I don’t know about others, but anyone elderly or with fragile health would be as fatigued as me (with the new backtracking through the zoo at the end of the day).
I think you should!
Likely whoever made the decisions had zero idea as to how these changes could affect visitors. Worst case you get a nice form letter back, thanking you for your input.
Very nice!
Thankyou Timo.
Cool silhouettes!
Yes, it’s certainly a photo I never would have thought of shooting the first time I went in this underground viewing room.
A spellbinding image – because it has a different view like taken in an opposite world. Well done.
Thank you for the lovely comment, Otto.
It’s one of those photos where you have no control over where people are standing, so it’s shoot first and decide on the computer monitor which arrangement of figures you like best (for me anyway).