Close but no cigar

[Chris Hammond]

Is there any bird or animal that you've come close to photographing or had a near miss with and regret?

This Bearded Tit springs to mind for me. I discovered a quiet little patch of wilderness that is just teeming with wildlife, but is not part of any reserve last year, and alongside three pairs of Marsh Harriers and a constsantly booming Bittern I chanced upon some Beardies. I returned a week later and managed to track them down again, but they just would noyt keep still for a moment, or move into clear view. Very frustrating!

[RobSutton]

Otters on a beach on Vatersay in the Outer Hebrides, camera set up on a tripod with a wide angle zoom for a seascape when these appeared a few metres away, no time or chance to change the lens for something longer - oh and the seascape was rubbish as well.

[ron1863]

Goldcrests and Crossbills, I have both fairly close to the house but have never got a half decent shot

[mh68]

The only missed image that still haunts me a bit is one of a recent Roe deer buck, standing in a tall crop field with only head and shoulders showing as it kept an eye out for danger, with the setting sun behind it, and backlit with a beautiful orange glow.I`d snapped a couple of shots of the scene, and in my eagerness to creep closer didnt check the exposure in the LCD, needless to say the deer spooked, ran off, and the shots that I had managed were only fit for the bin. Everything was perfect, except for the competence of the photographer

Mark H

[2dogs2000]

Originally Posted by mh68

Everything was perfect, except for the competence of the photographer

Mark H

I have this problem all the time. My photography skills are poor, especially macro. I saw a wasp on the clothes line eating its lunch and it posed for ages but I could not capture it on camera.

[Words]

Last night! A Badger appeared in our garden. I was 20 feet further down the path, camera in hand. It paused, stared at me. And could I get a focus? Could I heck. It then retreated down some steps, popped its head back up to tease me and then disappeared into the hedge.

[mh68]

Originally Posted by 2dogs2000

I have this problem all the time. My photography skills are poor, especially macro. I saw a wasp on the clothes line eating its lunch and it posed for ages but I could not capture it on camera.

Plenty of really good macro photographers on here who`d be happy to help 2dogs, sometimes the simplest thing makes all the difference..

Mark H

[John]

There's not one but dozens.

I am a twitcher so go around the countryside chasing rare birds. I also take my DSLR camera and digiscope camera with me in the hope I can get a photo of that bird, and anything else that might be about. I have constantly missed out on the killer image I have wanted but I suppose last Sunday was bit more frustrating than most.

I wear glasses, which are varifocals. Because of this I have to have a viewfinder fixed to my Nikon 4500 digiscope camera, as without it I can't see what is on my screen.

Well on Sunday my mate & I went to just outside of Middlesbrough after a Terek Sandpiper (which was a lifer for me). After a couple of hours we found it but it was very distant, plus the weather was very poor. I took out my camera and to my horror I had left the viewfinder at home. This meant I couldn't see what I was looking at on the screen so I literally guessed what was on the screen, and how clear it was, and then pushed the button. I wasn't even sure what bird I was taking a photo of but when I got home this was the image I got.


It was the only photo I managed of the bird, as two others were of other waders. If I had taken my viewfinder I would have got a closer, and a much more detailed image.

Definitely a missed opportunity as I am stopping twitching at the end of this year so the chance of seeing another one of these birds is very remote.

John

Originally Posted by Chris Hammond

Is there any bird or animal that you've come close to photographing or had a near miss with and regret?

[Hobjob]

Pine Marten on the road whilst biking in Scotland.
Camera in rucksack ;-(

[deer boy]

Originally Posted by Chris Hammond

Is there any bird or animal that you've come close to photographing or had a near miss with and regret?

Last year whilst trying to film Otters i saw a kingfisher fly by,so i decided to make a perch & see if i could get any footage.
After placing the perch in the river i went back to my camcorder sat down only to see a kingfisher sat on the perch time i'd turned the camcorder on it had flown away needless to say i saw no Otters either

[Chris Hammond]

Originally Posted by mh68

The only missed image that still haunts me a bit is one of a recent Roe deer buck, standing in a tall crop field with only head and shoulders showing as it kept an eye out for danger, with the setting sun behind it, and backlit with a beautiful orange glow.I`d snapped a couple of shots of the scene, and in my eagerness to creep closer didnt check the exposure in the LCD, needless to say the deer spooked, ran off, and the shots that I had managed were only fit for the bin. Everything was perfect, except for the competence of the photographer

Mark H

I haven't tried for deer yet. We're pretty well blessed with them here in Suffolk. In fact there seems to be a Muntjac in just about every urban/rural garden nowadays.

I usually see the disappearing scut of Roe deer, but I've had one or two pass very close while I've been reccying a shot from up a tree, or while I'm waiting for another bird or mammal. Not in the view of the lens yet though. I'm going to have to have a go at getting a few pics.

[Chris Hammond]

Originally Posted by deer boy

Last year whilst trying to film Otters i saw a kingfisher fly by,so i decided to make a perch & see if i could get any footage.
After placing the perch in the river i went back to my camcorder sat down only to see a kingfisher sat on the perch time i'd turned the camcorder on it had flown away needless to say i saw no Otters either

How many times does that happen? I've had one or two experiences where a random subject has passed so close to the camera that it is too close to focus on also.

[Chris Hammond]

Originally Posted by Words

Last night! A Badger appeared in our garden. I was 20 feet further down the path, camera in hand. It paused, stared at me. And could I get a focus? Could I heck. It then retreated down some steps, popped its head back up to tease me and then disappeared into the hedge.

Hearbreaking!

[Chris Hammond]

Originally Posted by RobSutton

Otters on a beach on Vatersay in the Outer Hebrides, camera set up on a tripod with a wide angle zoom for a seascape when these appeared a few metres away, no time or chance to change the lens for something longer - oh and the seascape was rubbish as well.

Wow! What a picture that would have made too.

[Chris Hammond]

Originally Posted by John

There's not one but dozens.

I am a twitcher so go around the countryside chasing rare birds. I also take my DSLR camera and digiscope camera with me in the hope I can get a photo of that bird, and anything else that might be about. I have constantly missed out on the killer image I have wanted but I suppose last Sunday was bit more frustrating than most.

I wear glasses, which are varifocals. Because of this I have to have a viewfinder fixed to my Nikon 4500 digiscope camera, as without it I can't see what is on my screen.

Well on Sunday my mate & I went to just outside of Middlesbrough after a Terek Sandpiper (which was a lifer for me). After a couple of hours we found it but it was very distant, plus the weather was very poor. I took out my camera and to my horror I had left the viewfinder at home. This meant I couldn't see what I was looking at on the screen so I literally guessed what was on the screen, and how clear it was, and then pushed the button. I wasn't even sure what bird I was taking a photo of but when I got home this was the image I got.


It was the only photo I managed of the bird, as two others were of other waders. If I had taken my viewfinder I would have got a closer, and a much more detailed image.

Definitely a missed opportunity as I am stopping twitching at the end of this year so the chance of seeing another one of these birds is very remote.

John

Bad luck John. Why are you giving up the twitching?

[Chris Hammond]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

Pine Marten on the road whilst biking in Scotland.
Camera in rucksack ;-(

Would give my right arm to see one of those, let alone photograph it!

[Chris Hammond]

Originally Posted by ron1863

Goldcrests and Crossbills, I have both fairly close to the house but have never got a half decent shot

It's strange Ron, I used to see Goldcrests quite regularly around here when I was younger, but I cant recall seeing one in the last decade or so.

I seem to remember them as quite human tolerant too.

[Chris Hammond]

Originally Posted by 2dogs2000

I have this problem all the time. My photography skills are poor, especially macro. I saw a wasp on the clothes line eating its lunch and it posed for ages but I could not capture it on camera.

Yeah but it's good fun trying though eh?

[John]

Three reasons.

1. The cost of diesel now is ridiculous. Unless I can fill the car now I can't really justify driving across Britain anymore.

2. I am doing both Morocco and South Africa next year and I really need to save hard for those trips.

3. I am officially retiring in Feb 2010 (although I intend to work on for a couple of years if I can). I really need to use these last few years to start saving for my retirement as I will only be on a basic pension when I do eventually retire.

John

Originally Posted by Chris Hammond

Bad luck John. Why are you giving up the twitching?

[LCPete]

My near miss was in Cuba while on a bird trip. The guide found a Gundlachs hawk. It was perched at the top of a tree backlit against the sky and he only stayed for a few moments. I was so nervous I got the exposure way out and ended up with a dark blob against a white background.
It was still a memorable trip though which I will never forget
Pete

[RobinP]

Originally Posted by John

I'd be well pleased with that! Digiscoping is a nightmare when the sun is out and your compact hasn't got a viewfinder.

[DuncanE]

White storks for me. they come close whenever I dont have my camera to hand.