Frustration..and i'm not talkin about the game

rs250man · #1 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 04:55 PM

Well, just purchased a Canon EOS 300-D from Ebay, with a load of accesories, got all my camo gear, charged up the batteries, palmed the kids of with grandparents, finished work early and off i went into the woods.
Looking like a paratrooper i waded across the fields and founda suitable spot in the woods just behind a rotten tree stump, rested the camera on the log and waited, and waited, waited....2hrs passed and not a thing

, then an old women walked passed me with her dog and i about scared the old dear to death...SORRY!! SORRY!! i'm taking photos of birds!! i was glad she didn't ask to have a look cos i didn't have one to my name...Oh sod it!! i got up and then walked out of the woods, looked into the sky and there like a ghost i saw the most beautiful bird..(feathered variety)...i dont know what it was but my god it was fantastic, so graceous...and off it went.flying like a ghost across the fields...oh no you dont i yelled!!!

Then it was gone....right...sit under this tree and wait....so there i am sitting and waiting then out of no where..whoosh...right, get the camera, aim and OH NO!!! lense cap.....take it off, aim....GONE!!!!!!!!!

I have not given up i will be out at 7am to go and get the shot of the century with this bird.....i will describe the bird and maybe you all could tell me what it is....at first i thought it was a heron, sime size wing span, dark ontop white underneath then as i got closer i could see that it was chasing the crows and swooping down onto the ground....it flew like an eagle does it was huge.......any ideas...DZ

zan · #2 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 05:04 PM

haha! Welcome to bird photography! Those will be the first of many, many missed shots

hopefully it'll be worth the pain and frustration though when you finally get the one-in-a-thousand photo you've been after!

Good luck and try not to take it all too seriously

rs250man · #3 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 05:10 PM

ZAN, i cant believe how frustrating it was, i dont know if i thought got all the gear, go out and get the shot to blow everyone away or what....but it was as if the birds were saying..."Oh ere we go another one..everyone hide"

Urrrrggghhh...lol

Billy Wobble Dagger · #4 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 05:11 PM

May be the ghost bird was the old dear with the dog

rs250man · #5 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 05:21 PM

I hope not??

zan · #6 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 05:23 PM

I have had many a frustrating moment like that myself, and know exactly how you feel. Now you've got new gear though, it would be worth going out and practising with it so you get a feel for exactly what it is and isn't capable of. It'll also make sure you're as good as possible at getting the most out of your camera.

I don't know much about your experience, so apologies if this is old news to you, but I keep my camera set to Av (and the widest aperture) so I can get the fastest shutter speed, adjust the ISO so the speed is good and quick (but watch out for noise above ISO 400), and autofocus to AI Servo. Make sure you've also got metering on 'partial' to get the best exposure. Then I go to the nearest seaside town and shoot flying seagulls (with my camera, not out of frustration!). If you're impatient, buy a bag of chips to lure them in

Hopefully this will help you out a bit! But dont' get too stressed, the more you do it, the better you'll get. It'll come eventually, just enjoy it!

rs250man · #7 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 05:27 PM

Cheers mate, that is very handy to know....hopefully i will track down this bird and we can see what it is?

zan · #8 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 05:28 PM

No bother, hope you get a shot of your ghost bird! I'll be interested to see it

incidentally, you could try shooting outside the woods? Probably really dark in there at this time of year, and birds can be really difficult to see never mind shoot... Maybe plant yourself near the edge at least?

glsammy · #9 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 07:04 PM

Depending on what birds your after, I tend to find woods frustrating places. Never much light, and often few if any birds! Now at the edge of the woods, especially where Humans tend to go, that's a different matter. I've got four local sites where birds are so used to us that you can get as close as you want without them bothering. You wont find anything that unusual, I was at my site in Sherwood Forest today and got shots of Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Willow Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch and Blackbird.

If these interest you, find somewhere where feeding is done. Taken some seed with you. When I arrived today, no birds to be seen. As soon as I'd filled a couple of feeding posts, within 30 seconds a Nuthatch was there, quickly followed by the others.

Brocker · #10 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 09:05 PM

Hi rs250man and welcome to wildlife photography. My guess is that although you had a frustrating time, you are hooked. You have the gear, now enjoy. The best advice that was given to me was, when you arrive at your destination, just listen. The first fifteen minutes should be be just doing that. It helps you tune in to your surroundings. Try and choose quiet areas, away from footpaths and with low hedges rather than large trees. It means the birds at more at your level. If you do visit woodland then try and sit up close to the edge. It gives more light and birds will often drop lower to eat ground insects just outside the woodland. You also have the option to feed the area with seeds. A favorite trick is to push chunks of fatballs into cracks and crevices of tree stumps and fence posts. This will draw in smaller birds like tits and finches and it helps to manipulate the surroundings to suit you. Keep going and good luck.