After a delightful afternoon walking locally in the sunshine, I am less than underwhelmed with the collection of photos I have returned with. Had I been a wildlife photographer, I would have been in my element but I am reminded of just how many more observation and hand eye co-ordination skills I need to develop, not to mention the art or quiet stalking. All the signs of spring were present in my walk, from the bluebells and primroses, the bees and the birds and at last the opportunity to watch lambs frolicking in the fields. Along the way I disturbed pheasants and deer and felt like quite the intruder in what seemed like an enchanted forest.
Just as I had given up on the little lambs posing for me, I crossed the corner of a field and noticed tiny ducklings swimming in an obscured and dark pond. They must have heard my attempt to get closer and all of a sudden mum was chasing across the pond with the ducklings scurrying as fast as their tiny feet could paddle to keep up, and then they disappeared into the undergrowth never to be seen again. I tramped round the edge to try and get a closer look and got the shock of my life as a muntjac not much more than a foot or two away from me jumped out of the undergrowth and was gone.
I needed my husband (alas, currently in Baltimore) to identify the many species of bird life and as I returned to the car and glanced back along the track - more delight as the low sun caught several mammals in the grass. After an hour on the computer trying to ascertain for sure that they were hares and not rabbits, I remain only 80 per cent sure that they were hares. They were too distant for my camera lens to take clear pictures.
So, after all this. I have some beautiful pictures of grass, fields of rape and a couple of trees. Everything else is substandard. I decided to post the ducklings (there were 17 in all), to truly represent my delightful afternoon. Anyone else out there quite as frustrated with their photography skills as me?
Interesting that you ask that question today . . . I spent several frustrating hours today trying to capture water drops. The setup was perfect...drop system, off camera speed lite, turquoise colored water, red backdrop...but I couldn't get the settings right for an acceptable image. I tried what felt like hundreds of different combinations of ISO, Aperture, and Exposure settings - just could not get a crisp, clear water drop image. What's really crazy is that I have previously posted two water drop photos in my project and even using those settings didn't work today. So I decided to stop before my frustration had a chance to totally ruin my day. Although I didn't end up with the image I had envisioned for today, I did learn some photography lessons in dealing with the different camera settings. Your photo of these adorable ducklings is wonderful, Helen! Made me smile immediately! :-)
Such wonderful ducklings Helen, they are so cute!!! And I am embarrassed to say I had to look up 'muntjac' as I didn't know what it was - how funny you had a run-in with one... And Helen I hate to tell you that I think it happens to everyone. Thinking you have gold in your camera but being so disappointed when you see what you've shot... There's so much to learn about everything - lighting and settings and set ups... But this is a delightful shot, happy to know it's representative of your afternoon! :)
The ducklings are adorable and so many of them Helen. Know what you mean about taking lots of photos and then being disappointed. You do have lots of memories of an afternoon full of nature though and maybe some ideas for new shots on another occasion.
I enjoy this shot of the little ducklings very much, also your account of how their mum reacted to you. In fact I enjoyed your account of a lovely day, except for the fact that you were photographically frustrated. I think we all have days like that, and I know there are a huge number of photography and processing skills that I lack. I also have some days where I think things are going well, but when I get home and look at my captures on the computer, I see they didn't go as well as I'd thought. Don't get discouraged--there will be days when things go better, and you will see how much you've improved. Above all, remember with Scarlett O'Hara that "Tomorrow is another day!"
@gaylewood oh dear! I am sorry about your water drops experience. I started the day with a tripod which belongs to my husband and spent an hour trying to get it into the position I wanted (I haven't a clue how all the different levers and handles work together). When I finally got my photo, I realised that the reflective surface I was using was scratched and renederd my perfectly focussed and positioned watch photo completely useless! All part of the learning curve ... I am a long way off trying out the kind of set up you are describing!
@kerosene thanks for you kind and understanding comments Caroline. I think I knew I hadn't gold in my camera! The battery was just going when I spotted the hares so my last chance of catching something special was denied. I still had a wonderful afternoon though.
@tristansmum thank you for your encouragement Stephanie. I didn't mind too much about the frustrations. I haven't really moved on to taking good photos of things that move yet! Atleast my capture of the hares was good enough for my more knowledgeable friends to identify them 100 per cent as such so I feel that it was a special afternoon.
I so understand! Today I made a complete mess of trying to capture some buzzards who were soaring beautifully. Combination of my lens not being good enough- and neither was I!
@maskerade - we just have to keep on practicing. birds in flight are so difficult. I am still waiting to even get my camera in the right place as the swans and geese fly around by the river near us. Thanks for your comment.
It is that frustration that drives us on! If you are really interested in nature photography you have to invest in higher spec equipment. Sorry! Ideally you want a DSLR full frame camera and a fast focussing, either a telephoto lens or a prime lens. When I started more serious amateur photography I ask a more senior club member when I should by a new camera! The answer was when I find my present one isn't doing something I would like it to do! You therefore at some point have to ask yourself if nature photography is important to you? You need to be able to shoot in RAW files, ideally have multiple frames per second to get the shot you so desire. I do some nature, some street, creative, pictorial, landscape, travel and contemporary and am on my 3rd camera and own 4! It is a fascinating, frustrating and sadly an expensive hobby! The fact that you have photos on 365 project probably means you have got the bug!! Good luck!
April 20th, 2016
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
