It was a day between Christmas and New Year, the sky was free of clouds, and the temperature rose to almost 60 degrees. I got the idea to go exercise my new zoom lens and visit the National Zoo. It seems like most everyone and their relatives had the same idea. The place was packed!
Just weeks ago I visited the zoo and found almost nothing open. Granted it was after 4:00 when the buildings close but even the outside exhibits seemed deserted. Must be that they do some serious cleaning leading up to Christmas because pools were empty, courtyards deserted, and outdoor cages devoid of inhabitants. That was then; this is now. The place was back in full swing.
Since my lens is a 55-200mm zoom on my cropped sensor DSLR I was actually getting 300mm maximum zoom. There was plenty of light and with that ability to pull objects in close I decided to go for the eyes of animals. The results were gratifying. I’m pleased with the lens.
As for the zoo, well, I’ll be going back. Again, there was much to be seen but in five hours you can only squeeze in so much. I’ll be going back and this time with my new external flash in tow too!
The photos are tuned to my theme of “Eyes”.
by 
