Ugly Hedgehog - Photography Forum
Home Active Topics Newest Pictures Search Login Register ☰
Main Photography Discussion
I missed the shot...
Page <prev 2 of 3 next>
Jul 12, 2018 09:32:34   #
Mustanger Loc: Grants Pass, Oregon USA
 
birdpix wrote:
The hawk may have been reacting to the sudden movement of your reaching for the camera. When ever I find myself in that type of a situation, I find that a slow reaction, without looking directly at the bird often (not always) results in the bird staying put longer. I do think the birds watch your eyes as I have often noted that, if you stare at them and then look away for one second, that is when they fly. If you don't look directly at them, they may think that you haven't seen them and not perceive you as a threat.
The hawk may have been reacting to the sudden move... (show quote)


I quickly learned to shut off the focusing beam on my lil Canon...it seems the BRIGHT Green Beam of light instantly caused them to bolt!...next I learned to move extremely slow getting to my camera...no sudden movements does help me a lot. I was instinctively not looking directly at them & I'm glad to see someone else thinks this way. Seems very natural it would help. Lastly (so far) I noticed that whenever I wore a Camo hat it chased the birds away instantly! Well the front of it has a large American Eagle head shot on it with a fierce look & an open beak! I KNOW that was a bad idea! LOL.....

OOPS! I forgot one more thing...my camera is overall red in color but there is a bright shiny beveled edge around the lens! As I move it around focusing etc. if the sun hits it just right it flashes brightly!!! And just like bright foil strips or Mylar hanging in the sun it scares birds away ast I an fine tuning the focus! Duh! A red sharpy touchup on the edge works good but needs frequent touchups!

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 09:55:51   #
texaseve Loc: TX, NC and NH
 
I hate it when that happens. My keeper rate runs in days... I have good days and bad, more of the bad unfortunately. 😁

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 09:56:43   #
planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs
 
I mussed a shot yesterday (but I couldn't have gotten it even if I wanted to because I was driving and didn't have a camera with me). I saw a hawk (?) fly right across the road with a huge snake hanging out of it's beak. It looks like it must have been at least a foot and a half long. Incredible!

Reply
 
 
Jul 12, 2018 11:09:33   #
Barney006
 
I have "photos" I call memory shots -- where I know the light isn't going to work or some other reason I won't get the shot. Then I just sit back and enjoy the scene unfolding in front of me.

One year as I was setting up to shoot fall colors at Oxbow Bend in Teton National Park, it was before dawn and the light was just enough to see by but not nearly enough to photograph action. A beautiful bald eagle flew out from the trees, landed in a tree just across the river in front of me, sat there for a couple of seconds and then flew right in front of me, skiffed the top of the water, caught a fish in its talons and flew away back where it came from. It was a glorious sight to see -- and if I had been fumbling for my camera and trying to get the unattainable shot, I would have missed the beauty of what I had just witnessed.

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 11:32:03   #
roxiemarty Loc: Florida
 
C6Joe wrote:
Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, from Sloppy Seconds. Great album! Many of their songs were penned by the great (sic) Shel Silverstein. I had the pleasure of MC'ing one of their concerts, many years ago!


You beat me to it! Shel Silverstein is still relevant today........my 11 year old Granddaughter has loved him since she began reading!

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 11:32:48   #
JD750 Loc: SoCal
 
Barney006 wrote:
I have "photos" I call memory shots -- where I know the light isn't going to work or some other reason I won't get the shot. Then I just sit back and enjoy the scene unfolding in front of me.

One year as I was setting up to shoot fall colors at Oxbow Bend in Teton National Park, it was before dawn and the light was just enough to see by but not nearly enough to photograph action. A beautiful bald eagle flew out from the trees, landed in a tree just across the river in front of me, sat there for a couple of seconds and then flew right in front of me, skiffed the top of the water, caught a fish in its talons and flew away back where it came from. It was a glorious sight to see -- and if I had been fumbling for my camera and trying to get the unattainable shot, I would have missed the beauty of what I had just witnessed.
I have "photos" I call memory shots -- w... (show quote)


Yes I like the name "memory shots". I have had those too. Just watch and remember.

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 11:35:12   #
JD750 Loc: SoCal
 
birdpix wrote:
The hawk may have been reacting to the sudden movement of your reaching for the camera. When ever I find myself in that type of a situation, I find that a slow reaction, without looking directly at the bird often (not always) results in the bird staying put longer. I do think the birds watch your eyes as I have often noted that, if you stare at them and then look away for one second, that is when they fly. If you don't look directly at them, they may think that you haven't seen them and not perceive you as a threat.
The hawk may have been reacting to the sudden move... (show quote)


That is a good point about the movement. I think also the camera lens looks like a big eye. Animals think it is a big predator. My cats will for sure run from it.

Reply
 
 
Jul 12, 2018 11:42:06   #
lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA
 
JD750 wrote:
Sitting outside on my patio, sweet light time, had my D7000 +70-300mm f4-5.6 on one chair, OM-D + 45mm f1.8 (90mm FF EFV) on the other chair, and working on an email. Suddenly I hear subtle sounds, and sensed big movement out of the corner of my eye. On the fence to the south in my yard, A Red Tailed Hawk, just missed one of those little birds that come here this time of day to drink from the fountain. WOA! Predator alert! Wow he’s big! I reached out and grabbed the D7000 camera OUTCH outch outch ... recent stitches, hurt!! Art requires sacrifice. I mashed the back FOCUS button and literally fired a shot as I was raising it to my eye. Then he flew. GONE. I looked at the shot and I am not thrilled with the result. I was woefully ignorant of the situation. I could have gotten a good shot had I been paying attention. BAD photographer. BAD BAD photographer.
Sitting outside on my patio, sweet light time, ha... (show quote)


Thus far since 1977 I have not tried photographing birds much. Not that I don't like birds, I used to be a binoculars birder. Just not my forte in photography, yet. The only real keepers I have of birds were a few shot of a Friendly Scrub Jay fairly close with a Kodak Bridge camera, and one case like yours where I had to grab my DSLR with a 135mm lens on it hold it up look quick, manual focus, and fire to capture the image I knew was about to be. No time to see if the settings on the camera made any sense (F-stop or Shutter Speed). I lucked out and got what I had visualized was about to happen: A GBH on a pier in a bay with the reflection of a red sail on the water behind the bird. I saw the boat and reflected sail move towards the Heron in the mid-ground. The boat in not in the pic as I planned in a few seconds.

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 11:48:09   #
lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA
 
AndyH wrote:
Agreed. 5% top notch is in Adams territory....

Andy


Do note Ansel sometimes went years between portfolios or books. He did have dry spells. I wonder what was Edward Weston's keeper rate was? It was titled "Pepper #30" after all.

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 12:04:08   #
C6Joe Loc: NorthWestern Nevada
 
Well boys and girls, hate to disappoint ya'll..


I have a 99% success rate...
.
.
.
.
.

Of missing the shot!

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 13:35:15   #
n3eg Loc: West coast USA
 
I took several hundred shots while driving on a cross-country trip. At least 30% blown shots due to missed focus, camera shake, and bugs on windshield.

Reply
 
 
Jul 12, 2018 14:28:28   #
Photocraig
 
Wanderer2 wrote:
Love the analogy with a jealous mistress. It's right on!!


I used to charter sailing yachts in Alameda on San Francisco Bay. A very popular C&C 36 footer was called "Jealous Mistress." Indeed, there is no comparison between the costs of sailing and photography. (that's why I chartered AKA rented).

C

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 15:13:08   #
JD750 Loc: SoCal
 
C6Joe wrote:
Well boys and girls, hate to disappoint ya'll..


I have a 99% success rate...
.
.
.
.
.

Of missing the shot!


I can meet that goal!!

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 15:28:45   #
hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA
 
My best shot of a hummer is an instance of divine intervention. I was shooting a flower against the sky and barely noticed a darkness that was not there an instant before. Behold, when pixel peeping, there was the humming bird. Not as sharp as i would have wanted it, but perfectly composed.

Reply
Jul 12, 2018 17:04:05   #
mbowman
 
Sometimes luck will be a lady. Got this picture after the eagle flew in front of my car. I only had the cell phone so I took some shots to prove what I had seen. Then I drove home about a mile away grabbed my camera and went back. The bird was still in the tree. Luck was my lady that afternoon!



Reply
Page <prev 2 of 3 next>
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
Main Photography Discussion
Home | Latest Digest | Back to Top | All Sections
Contact us | Privacy policy | Terms of use | DMCA
UglyHedgehog.com - Forum
Copyright 2011-2024 Ugly Hedgehog, Inc.