Earlier today, I visited the Brookfield Zoo. It was raining, so I spent all of my time in an indoor exhibit taking pictures of Golden Weavers and a Klipspringer (small African antelope). This image of the antelope is my first photograph since returning home from the Desert Southwest Road Trip in mid-August.

KlipspringerKlipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), or small African antelope, at the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois on September 4, 2014

One of the things I find appealing about this image is the eye contact. The antelope is making a connection with the viewer. I'm often asked how I get animals to look into my lens. In some ways, it's easier than one would think. It's mostly a matter of just waiting until the animal looks in my direction! I try to attract the animal's attention by making noises, waving my arms or triggering my flash unit. In the zoo, these tactics aren't usually very effective. The animals are immune to these methods given the number of visitors, particularly kids, who walk by the exhibits all day. In the end, it just takes patience.