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

[rs250man]

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]

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]

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]

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

[rs250man]

I hope not??

[zan]

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]

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

[zan]

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]

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]

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.

[ron1863]

Been there and done that.

What photography definitely teaches you is patience. I've learned to just enjoy being out and about and enjoying the countryside. Any decent shot is a bonus, especially if I have waited for any length of time.

If I had a pound for every missed shot I would be employing Andy Rouse.

[Fourwings]

Welcome to the wonderful world of wildlife photography, there's a very good reason why quite a few of us have very little hair left, and something tells me you have just experienced your first taste of it!!!

Stick with it, it does get easier, honest

[LindaB]

[quote=zan;207702]
and autofocus to AI Servo. [quote]

Hi

Just a small tech point so that the original poster doesnt get confused, the Canon 300D does not have A1 Servo in Av mode unfortunately which does make birds in flight shots a little more difficult. It will only do A1 Servo in the Sports Mode, so for practice, they could try that mode and see how it comes out - some have had great success using that mode.

For that model (300D) I would recommend Av mode, keep following the subject and quickly do a couple of half pressing of the shutter to obtain focus
and take the shots.

Gulls are great to practice on - so if everything else disappears, find some gulls .

[forevergreen]

Unlucky with your ghost bird. i tend to take my camera and basic equiptment with me every time i go for a walk then if a particular critter ive been hunting appears im ready to get em.

Keep trying anyway its happened to me loads of times.

[BillyPilgrim]

I'm new to this and have had similar frustrations. I've been to the same place loads of times and whilst there are plenty of bird species there they are usually high in the trees or skulking around in thickly-wooded areas where there is little light.

I tried tempting them out to the good light at the edge of the woods but to no avail. I left nuts and fat balls there which went untouched for weeks

Got plenty of grey squirrel shots though!

[nightshade]

Reconnicense,first see what is in an area (always carry a camera)
Prepare, ask around look up local records
Seed the area so birds will look for food there
Take photos

Just like the others have said

[big bill]

Been there done it and wore the T shirt nothing more frustrating but perserverance does pay off in the end and listen to the advise given above and you will not go wrong.
I always carry some food with me now to bait the area and it does work you just have to be patient

[rs250man]

Thanks everyone that has boosted my moral. Afew days after i went back to the area which i first saw the bird, decided to wear camouflage gear, again and off i went only to be yelled at by a farmer and his son 'OI!!', who then came marching over to me in a very distaste full way.

I apologised if i had done anything wrong but i dont respond to OI!! and assured him that i wasn't taking photos of his house or his vehicles and that i was after a big bird possibly a Buzzard.

After looking at my pictures, he also apologised and informed me that he had been burgled a number of times and was now worried about anyone straying off the path. He then informed me that there were 3 Buzzards in the area and pointed out an old tree which they regularly could be seen in...but it was off the path...oh i said....looking dissapointed.....he then turned around and walked off...has anyone else experienced this kind of thing.....love to know..

daz

[Blackbrook Eye]

A good thing to remember is, that for every wildlife photographer out in the countryside there is an abundance of rogues, not all burglars but also poachers, Badger and Fox diggers not to mention those who just can't seem to have fun without wrecking something and so called 'kids' with air guns popping away at anything that moves, no wonder land owners are concerned about strangers on their property. The best thing all round is to find out who's land you intend to go on and ask their permission first, take a few of your better photos with you to show them and you will be surprised by the reception you get in most instances, also, they are around the land regularly and will often tell you where the good spots are. When you do get your pictures it is a nice gesture to present the landowner with a few small prints, word soon gets around and you may be invited to surrounding areas by others who have land. Most farmers realise that to have someone about their land taking photographs is a deterant to those who would be up to no good so it isn't all one way.

[chkm8]

Originally Posted by rs250man

Thanks everyone that has boosted my moral. Afew days after i went back to the area which i first saw the bird, decided to wear camouflage gear, again and off i went only to be yelled at by a farmer and his son 'OI!!', who then came marching over to me in a very distaste full way.

..has anyone else experienced this kind of thing.....love to know..

daz

I live in the countryside and find farmers to be a strange bunch at times. I know of one who banned guys from his land that had been crossing it for years to reach a hide during the duck shooting season. Reason for ban wait for it, They didn't bring him a bottle of spirits at christmas for allowing them access to his land.
Generally though once they know you and know you are responsible ie: no damage to property, keep off the crops, close the gates and those fields of long grass you are tramping underfoot is what they will later cut for silage so stay off and walk around the edges of the fields and you usually don't have any problems. An introduction to the farmer and asking permission to access his land also goes a long way.

John.