Missed photo opportunities

[JeffH]

or 'the ones that got away'......

Just over two weeks ago I treated myself to an early Christmas present and bought a new camera outfit. I won't bore you with the technical details but having spent just over 2 grand on a high spec DLSR and a couple of IS zoom lenses I came home that evening eager to play with my new toys.

I spent several hours that evening browsing through the 200 page manual trying to get to grips with the complexity of my new camera and eager to try it out in daylight.

The next morning I was up even earlier than usual (like a kid at Christmas) and spent a further hour or so getting to know what all the buttons and dials do whilst having my early morning tea.

I then realised that a beautiful red dawn was breaking and decided to give the new gear a try. As I walked through the lounge towards the patio doors a Heron gently descended into my garden out of the red sky and landed next to my pond less than 25' from where I stood.
This is the closest I've ever been to a Heron and as I fumbled with the new camera desperately trying to remember how to set it up for a shot like this - the Heron looked at me, took off and flew back into the red dawn sky. I hadn't even got the lens cap off! - missed photo opportunity no. 1 !!

Ah well I thought, I'll still get the red dawn. I walked out into the garden and as I got to the other side of the pond discovered the now familiar scattering of feathers indicating that our local Sparrowhawk had visited. These feathers were definitely not there the night before and so it seems that whilst I was playing with my new camera indoors the Sparrowhawk had caught and plucked a collared dove within about 30' of where I'd been sitting, but just outside my range of vision - missed photo opportunity no. 2 !!!

The sparrowhawk visits us at least a couple of times a week and sometimes leaves bits of bird carcass around the garden (Yuk) so I had to have a good look around to make sure there was nothing the dog could find and bring in to the house.

By this time, the bright red dawn of only a few minutes earlier had turned into a rather watery pinky sky - missed photo opportunity no. 3 !!!!

It almost felt like Mother Nature (or whatever 'force' controls such things - if anything does?) was teaching me a lesson along the lines of - 'spend as much as you like on fancy photographic equipment, but I'll decide what you get and when'. I guess there'll be many more such missed opportunities but, hopefully, there'll be a few I don't miss as well.

What are your most memorable missed photo opportunities?

Jeff

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by JeffH

or 'the ones that got away'......

Just over two weeks ago I treated myself to an early Christmas present and bought a new camera outfit. I won't bore you with the technical details but having spent just over 2 grand on a high spec DLSR and a couple of IS zoom lenses I came home that evening eager to play with my new toys.

I spent several hours that evening browsing through the 200 page manual trying to get to grips with the complexity of my new camera and eager to try it out in daylight.

The next morning I was up even earlier than usual (like a kid at Christmas) and spent a further hour or so getting to know what all the buttons and dials do whilst having my early morning tea.

I then realised that a beautiful red dawn was breaking and decided to give the new gear a try. As I walked through the lounge towards the patio doors a Heron gently descended into my garden out of the red sky and landed next to my pond less than 25' from where I stood.
This is the closest I've ever been to a Heron and as I fumbled with the new camera desperately trying to remember how to set it up for a shot like this - the Heron looked at me, took off and flew back into the red dawn sky. I hadn't even got the lens cap off! - missed photo opportunity no. 1 !!

Ah well I thought, I'll still get the red dawn. I walked out into the garden and as I got to the other side of the pond discovered the now familiar scattering of feathers indicating that our local Sparrowhawk had visited. These feathers were definitely not there the night before and so it seems that whilst I was playing with my new camera indoors the Sparrowhawk had caught and plucked a collared dove within about 30' of where I'd been sitting, but just outside my range of vision - missed photo opportunity no. 2 !!!

The sparrowhawk visits us at least a couple of times a week and sometimes leaves bits of bird carcass around the garden (Yuk) so I had to have a good look around to make sure there was nothing the dog could find and bring in to the house.

By this time, the bright red dawn of only a few minutes earlier had turned into a rather watery pinky sky - missed photo opportunity no. 3 !!!!

It almost felt like Mother Nature (or whatever 'force' controls such things - if anything does?) was teaching me a lesson along the lines of - 'spend as much as you like on fancy photographic equipment, but I'll decide what you get and when'. I guess there'll be many more such missed opportunities but, hopefully, there'll be a few I don't miss as well.

What are your most memorable missed photo opportunities?

Jeff

Funnily enough, just the same. A heron in our pond behind our shed. I walked round the corner and it was there! I slid back to the house but it took off just as I got back and a sparrowhawk lunching on a starling feet away from our patio doors. Usual thing, camera out-gone.There have been loads of other things too.We need cameras that we can strap to our foreheads with a button you can press on your watch! We'd look proper Charlies though.

[smartie]

There are just too many missed opportunites to count or remember.

But they do very occasionally get balanced out by that surprise wonder shot you didn't realise you had - I've got a great close up shot of a gull flying against the backdrop of the New York waterfront which was a complete fluke and one I could have spent all day failing to get if I was trying.....if you see what I mean

[snowdrop]

You have my sympathy JeffH. But I couldn't help but laugh...naughty of me I know.

Perhaps its the way you told it. (Smile)

I think you will have the last laugh though, when you have mastered the buttons and posted a cracker of a picture. Good luck with future opportunities.

[nightshade]

I had just put extension tubes on the camera,when there was a double bump on the patio door, collar Dove and Sparrow Hawk!! Sparrow Hawk flew off Collar Dove is still laid out,
will check it out now......
Dead and flys gathering, camera and tubes still on the table.

[Wolfhill]

1) One opportunity that I missed was last summer(2005), I'd spent a large part of my summer holidays sitting in a hide beside a pool near where I live that Osprey's sometimes fish at. This was about the 10th time I'd been up; and so far I'd seen the Osprey's plenty of times but the weren't fishing so the only pics I had were flight shots. Anyway I was sitting there looking out of the front window of my hide, when I turned and looked out the side window and saw and osprey sittins on top of a small tree less than 20ft away at the same height as me. As I slowly tried to turn my camera around it saw me through the camo netting watched me for a few seconds and then just as I got the camera up; I pointed it towards where it sat and began to focus when it flew away....I was absolutely gutted

2) This missed opportunity was up in my local hills last winter. I spent pretty much every Saturday between January and April trying to photograph Ptarmigan and Mountain Hare with some success. However on this day I was stalking a male and female Ptarmigan that were unaware of my presence some 15ft away(good stalking or luck??) when all of a sudden the cock displayed to the hen beside him(I was laying on the snow with my camera on top of my beanbag) just as I clicked the shutter I slid about 2 ft downhill and got a picture which wasn't even distingushable as a pair of Ptarmigan in their winter plumage!!! Again I was gutted as this would have been a great behavioural shot.
Fergus

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

The one for me was last winter, just after christmas. It was during the snowy period, i was on my local patch and had managed to track down a pair of Bullfinch by their calls. Over the space of half an hour i followed them around feeding, at times the male and female where both on the same plant(old thisle heads) would have made fantasic pictures, especially as it was totally snow covered ground and it made the Bullfinch look very bright

[Garden Carpet]

Not sure if this counts. Couple of years back when we had a lot of snow I was out with my old Sony Mavica and I took a shot of the field with the low sun behind the trees. When I downloaded to the puter there was a large bird flying the field. Unfortunatly it was too far away to identify. I suspect it was a Barn Owl. I hadnt even seen it!!
jaki

[RobSutton]

How about being on a beach on North Uist following an active Otter in the Loch beyond when it caught something too big to eat in the sea and had to come to shore to deal with it. Where did it end up? About 3 metres in front of me, too close for the telephoto lens on the camera to focus on! And I never have got a shot of an Otter.

[matt_xyz]

well I had a missed opportunity yesterday when I stumbled across a Kingfisher. It was sat with its back to me in a tree as I came around the bend in a path and, for some reason, it didn't immediately fly off. I had my camera around my neck but as I slowly moved it up to my eye it flew off. My closest ever encounter with a Kingfisher. The only consolation (apart from the sheer pleasure of seeing it) was that it would have been a poor photo as it was sitting in the shade.

I did manage to get a shot of a Kingfisher later, probably the same one. An appalling shot but just about identifiable as a kingfisher! My first ever kingfisher shot so I was still quite chuffed. Plenty of room for improvement though

Matt

[JeffH]

Some nice ones there folks - I knew I wasn't alone and I'm sure there are many more out there in WABland

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

We need cameras that we can strap to our foreheads with a button you can press on your watch! We'd look proper Charlies though.

Hey it works for skydivers Wild-Woman - why not wildlife photographers? Who knows what the future holds!

Smartie - "But they do very occasionally get balanced out by that surprise wonder shot you didn't realise you had" - I've yet to experience this but I'm much encouraged by the prospect.

Snowdrop - I'm glad my post made you laugh. The experience made me laugh at the time and so I thought I'd share it with my fellow-WABers.

Wolfhill - sounds like the best missed opportunity was a photo of you sliding downhill

Jeff

[lewisa]

Full and bright rainbow perfectly arched over a massive power station, seen travelling north on the M40. If I had my camera Id have faked a breakdown

[Dorcas]

Oh all the time, I just thought I was unlucky

on Lindisfarne - walking the path by the farm, sparrowhawk comes over me from behind, kills and carries off a sparrow, disappears in a bush - carry on walking, there it is but it flew off, then stopped on another bush and as I got closer flew off, still nice watching it.

going for sunrises after checking metcheck and the bbc weather and yep going to be fine - get there after a drive and cloud - bummer

or even on a good sunrise - omg what do I shoot in the 5 minutes of glorious colour, tend to suss out places now

sunshine - I gave up trying to get good weather and now I just go with what I've got - I guess I'm meant to take stormy pictures or other sorts.

still it's nothing compared to the bbc cameramen - bet they have loadsa stories lol

[eeyore]

driving down a road in weston turvile yesterday - predictably without my camera - a red kite swooped out of a tree and started feeding on roadkill by the side of the road.

I pulled over to watch then remembered that I had my Fuji F10 in the glove box - Carefully wound down window , aimed, composed, pressed the shutter - little message pops up "memory card not present" ArrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH

[Owl-Light]

I was just saying the other day that I should write 100 lines for not keeping my camera with me at all times and what did I do the very next day? Left it at home, that’s what I did. You can guess what happened next.

I was walking through Sandford Park early this morning when something big flew quite low overhead. A great big beautiful Grey Heron. As I followed its flight it landed gracefully at the very panicle of a Leylandi type tree. The sky behind him was as blue as you could wish for and the angle of sunlight lit him up like s ballet dancer in a spotlight as he posed on the dark green foliage of the tree.

Oh, it gets worse...

Suddenly I became aware of the fact that I was watching him through a circular gap where the autumn foliage of two broad leaf trees met, creating a multi coloured perfect natural frame for the photograph; a frame that was in perfect contrast to the simplicity of the pure grey form of the Heron and the blue sky behind him. Any idiot could have taken a sublime shot. Any idiot except the one that left her flippin’ camera on her desk at home

I watched him for quite some time between glancing at other people walking through the park occasionally to see if they’d seen him too. I wanted to say “Hey look…” but they all looked so serious and seemed intently focussed on looking down instead.

I still feel privileged to have been a witness to the moment even if I didn’t take a photo to be able to share it with you. Sorry.

From now on, wherever I go my camera goes too and always with fresh batteries to hand!!!!!!!

[PMG]

When I've stopped laughing. . . I'll echo all of the above!

Sparrowhawk on back fence . . . camera locked away safely out of reach in the safe where it lives during the week. . .

Heron to (empty of fish) pond in our back garden . . . camera still safe . . .

Several large common hawkers visiting same pond . . . camera still safe . . .

Very recently a couple of good sunsets across the flash at work . . . camera still safe . . .

and a host of others over the years. . . camera safe in bag, behind seat, in the boot. . .

but the best - the very best - way back in 1990 during my first ever visit to the Outer Hebrides (long before I knew I would just keep coming back). I was camping on my own (for only the second time) on the Isle of Barra and the loos are 2 miles away from chosen tent spot. So you have to set off first thing in the morning for a pit stop. . . as I wended my way along the narrow road - feeling gobsmacked by the views, the weather (glorious for once - and before (I learned it could play rough!) a rugby-shaped brown bird walked in front of the car. I skidded to a stop and watched this corncrake disappear under my bonnet . . . please god let the car stop short. . . it appeared from under the middle of the car - unhurt - and walked alongside my drivers door - about 15 inches below me - with I swear a wicked grin on its face!

And the camera? Safe in its little bag behind the drivers seat. . . arghhhhhhhhh!!! I sat on a gate for an hour and half and watched and listened to it calling halfway up the field, until finally I could not hold off the pit stop any longer and had to hobble cross-legged to the car and drive somehow the rest of the way to the loos. . .

Pauline

[Dorcas]

Originally Posted by PMG

When I've stopped laughing. . . I'll echo all of the above!

Sparrowhawk on back fence . . . camera locked away safely out of reach in the safe where it lives during the week. . .

Heron to (empty of fish) pond in our back garden . . . camera still safe . . .

Several large common hawkers visiting same pond . . . camera still safe . . .

Very recently a couple of good sunsets across the flash at work . . . camera still safe . . .

and a host of others over the years. . . camera safe in bag, behind seat, in the boot. . .

but the best - the very best - way back in 1990 during my first ever visit to the Outer Hebrides (long before I knew I would just keep coming back). I was camping on my own (for only the second time) on the Isle of Barra and the loos are 2 miles away from chosen tent spot. So you have to set off first thing in the morning for a pit stop. . . as I wended my way along the narrow road - feeling gobsmacked by the views, the weather (glorious for once - and before (I learned it could play rough!) a rugby-shaped brown bird walked in front of the car. I skidded to a stop and watched this corncrake disappear under my bonnet . . . please god let the car stop short. . . it appeared from under the middle of the car - unhurt - and walked alongside my drivers door - about 15 inches below me - with I swear a wicked grin on its face!

And the camera? Safe in its little bag behind the drivers seat. . . arghhhhhhhhh!!! I sat on a gate for an hour and half and watched and listened to it calling halfway up the field, until finally I could not hold off the pit stop any longer and had to hobble cross-legged to the car and drive somehow the rest of the way to the loos. . .

Pauline

omg pmsl what brilliant stories from everyone