Frustrated !

I think I need my camera glued to my body...Last night, as I was eating dinner, I happened to spot a pair of Goldfinches feeding on the seeds of a Cone flower plant right outside the kitchen window. Needless to say, by the time I got the cam,era from the other room, they were gone. This has been happening too frequently lately...Same thing happened the other day with some butterflies...It is frustrating isn't it ...

Now watch... as soon as you make a point of having your camera with you, those birds will be nowhere to see!

omg im so fed up missing out on good pic's.
i was out walking my dog with the hubby, we were at a local nature reserve a beautiful place for birds.. i was making my dog walk through a grape seed field to get a nice pic of her when my hubby shouted look up quick you'll get a stunning photo, so i looked up and no lie just above my head were 3 ducks flying over, i could reach them with my hand but by the time id sorted my camera out it was to late i could have cried my hubby was laughing his head off ..
i can never seem to capture a squirrel not for the lack of trying tho so this for me is now a mission, i wont rest until i get one lol

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Just on the window sill outside the camera/computer room the other day

Yes it is really frustrating. The other day, as I sit here on the computer, I saw two rabbits chasing each other. I just had this feeling that when they stop they will humping. I was right. I quickly turned, bend down to grab my camera and the 500mm, ( I was close enough to shoot from the window, instead of going outside), I turn to look out the window and they were no where in sight.

kcphotography wrote: omg im so fed up missing out on good pic's.
i was out walking my dog with the hubby, we were at a local nature reserve a beautiful place for birds.. i was making my dog walk through a grape seed field to get a nice pic of her when my hubby shouted look up quick you'll get a stunning photo, so i looked up and no lie just above my head were 3 ducks flying over, i could reach them with my hand but by the time id sorted my camera out it was to late i could have cried my hubby was laughing his head off ..
i can never seem to capture a squirrel not for the lack of trying tho so this for me is now a mission, i wont rest until i get one lol

This is a prime example as to why photographers need to know their camera/photography inside and out. So you can switch from one subject to another within a split second. (that includes changing lenses if need to be)

crystal wrote:

kcphotography wrote: omg im so fed up missing out on good pic's.
i was out walking my dog with the hubby, we were at a local nature reserve a beautiful place for birds.. i was making my dog walk through a grape seed field to get a nice pic of her when my hubby shouted look up quick you'll get a stunning photo, so i looked up and no lie just above my head were 3 ducks flying over, i could reach them with my hand but by the time id sorted my camera out it was to late i could have cried my hubby was laughing his head off ..
i can never seem to capture a squirrel not for the lack of trying tho so this for me is now a mission, i wont rest until i get one lol

This is a prime example as to why photographers need to know their camera/photography inside and out. So you can switch from one subject to another within a split second. (that includes changing lenses if need to be)

i do hun, i know what everything means on my camera but that dont mean i wont miss anything does it ? i missed it as my mind was on my dog not the ducks the camera setting were fine for taking the photo but the ducks got away what eles can i say to that..

so are you telling me i dont know what im doing crystal ?

kcphotography wrote:

crystal wrote:

kcphotography wrote: omg im so fed up missing out on good pic's.
i was out walking my dog with the hubby, we were at a local nature reserve a beautiful place for birds.. i was making my dog walk through a grape seed field to get a nice pic of her when my hubby shouted look up quick you'll get a stunning photo, so i looked up and no lie just above my head were 3 ducks flying over, i could reach them with my hand but by the time id sorted my camera out it was to late i could have cried my hubby was laughing his head off ..
i can never seem to capture a squirrel not for the lack of trying tho so this for me is now a mission, i wont rest until i get one lol

This is a prime example as to why photographers need to know their camera/photography inside and out. So you can switch from one subject to another within a split second. (that includes changing lenses if need to be)

i do hun, i know what everything means on my camera but that dont mean i wont miss anything does it ? i missed it as my mind was on my dog not the ducks the camera setting were fine for taking the photo but the ducks got away what eles can i say to that..

so are you telling me i dont know what im doing crystal ?

My comment wasn't really stating YOU do not know your camera. My comment was more stating in general photographers need to know their equipment for any situation that come about if they want to shoot the subject.

I can understand shooting one thing that is on the ground, and seeing a bird flying above. I have no problem going from one subject to another. I do it all the time. If you really wanted that shot of the ducks, you would have taken the shot.

Really, if you were going to use the same lens and if the ducks were as close as you say they were. You could have quickly moved the camera from the dog, to the ducks to get the shot.

Hmmm, which is more important....ducks flying above (as low as they were according to you, which doesn't happen all that often) or your dog rolling around in grapes? (which you could have gone back to shooting after the ducks left.)

I was frustrated last night. Taking a course and 2 of the assignments call for a bright sunny day - well, it was all day while I was stuck in the office working. So, after work, I called my daughter and told her I wanted to take pictures of the grandkids. Sure, but by the time I got there, (got stopped by every single stop light) the clouds and rain had moved in. Another opportunity shot!

Well i tried to post the pic of the squirrel outside my window but the image got lost in cyberspace. another frustration. I agree with Ky Clover that the afternnoon here yesterday sucked big time as it rained in buckets and we had crappy weather for shooting

crystal wrote:

kcphotography wrote:

crystal wrote:

kcphotography wrote: omg im so fed up missing out on good pic's.
i was out walking my dog with the hubby, we were at a local nature reserve a beautiful place for birds.. i was making my dog walk through a grape seed field to get a nice pic of her when my hubby shouted look up quick you'll get a stunning photo, so i looked up and no lie just above my head were 3 ducks flying over, i could reach them with my hand but by the time id sorted my camera out it was to late i could have cried my hubby was laughing his head off ..
i can never seem to capture a squirrel not for the lack of trying tho so this for me is now a mission, i wont rest until i get one lol

This is a prime example as to why photographers need to know their camera/photography inside and out. So you can switch from one subject to another within a split second. (that includes changing lenses if need to be)

i do hun, i know what everything means on my camera but that dont mean i wont miss anything does it ? i missed it as my mind was on my dog not the ducks the camera setting were fine for taking the photo but the ducks got away what eles can i say to that..

so are you telling me i dont know what im doing crystal ?

My comment wasn't really stating YOU do not know your camera. My comment was more stating in general photographers need to know their equipment for any situation that come about if they want to shoot the subject.

I can understand shooting one thing that is on the ground, and seeing a bird flying above. I have no problem going from one subject to another. I do it all the time. If you really wanted that shot of the ducks, you would have taken the shot.

Really, if you were going to use the same lens and if the ducks were as close as you say they were. You could have quickly moved the camera from the dog, to the ducks to get the shot.

Hmmm, which is more important....ducks flying above (as low as they were according to you, which doesn't happen all that often) or your dog rolling around in grapes? (which you could have gone back to shooting after the ducks left.)

ok im glad we have cleard that up, i was not there to take photos of the ducks so no not at all, the most important thing for me was getting a photo of my dog. lol she was not rolling round in grapes it was a filed, you have seen those yellow fields ? the ducks were very low i don't tell fibs and the reason they were low, they were coming in to land on the lake so flew straight above my head and to be honest your right i probably could have got the shot but iv never seen ducks flying this low myself so i did pause for a moment and watched them so by the time i got my camera they had already gone, not out of view but i didn't have a long lens with me, i dont take everything out with me all the time.

I shot a series of sunrises for several months one winter. Every morning there was a gaggle of 12 Canadian Geese living in my favorite sunrise cove. I could hear them coming across the lake, honking and flying in a close formation, low on the water, moving fast in the near dark . I got to where I was ready at a moments notice and did manage a few shots that were either blurred because of their speed and the dim light or movement of the boat. Frustration soon became determination and I did finally get a few good images of them (Or did I settle for the ones I got?). I felt like I was the lone naval vessel searching them out and they were the crafty kamikaze birds that were trying to defeat me. It was a remake of WWII.

After all that, I can't find the few photos I kept. Grrrrrrr...

Once I pulled up to a nature trail area I like to walk in, and I saw a deer not 20' away. At first I rushed to get the gear, and then I thought why start out my photo walk stressed? I know by the time i get the gear ready the deer will be long gone. So I just went about my business getting ready and locking up the car. When I turned around, camera ready, the deer was 10' away, and walking closer. Someone must have been feeding this guy, because he was interested in me. He came right up to me, and was actually so close I couldn't get a good shot. I photographed his back just for evidence that this really occurred, and then a car came over the hill, and he ran off.

Sometimes you have to just enjoy the view, and let the world go by without photographing it. One thing I know for sure, goldfinches, squirrels, rabbits, etc... will come back if there is food. Just wait a few minutes.

Screamin Scott: Get one of those thistle feeders that only the Goldfinches can eat from (they can hang upside down, apparently most other birds can't). Hang it by the cone flowers. Within a week you'll have a flock regularly hanging out.

kcphotography wrote:

crystal wrote: [ok im glad we have cleard that up, i was not there to take photos of the ducks so no not at all, the most important thing for me was getting a photo of my dog. lol she was not rolling round in grapes it was a filed, you have seen those yellow fields ? the ducks were very low i don't tell fibs and the reason they were low, they were coming in to land on the lake so flew straight above my head and to be honest your right i probably could have got the shot but iv never seen ducks flying this low myself so i did pause for a moment and watched them so by the time i got my camera they had already gone, not out of view but i didn't have a long lens with me, i dont take everything out with me all the time.

I believe you that the ducks were low. Been there. Just the other week I was out on a dock, ass early in the morning and two ducks flew right past my head. Like you, I could have pet them as they flew by. I didn't bother to take their picture, because this was before the sun even came up.

Sorry, never came across a grape or yellow field. PA sucks. lol

Henry Peach wrote: Once I pulled up to a nature trail area I like to walk in, and I saw a deer not 20' away. At first I rushed to get the gear, and then I thought why start out my photo walk stressed? I know by the time i get the gear ready the deer will be long gone. So I just went about my business getting ready and locking up the car. When I turned around, camera ready, the deer was 10' away, and walking closer. Someone must have been feeding this guy, because he was interested in me. He came right up to me, and was actually so close I couldn't get a good shot. I photographed his back just for evidence that this really occurred, and then a car came over the hill, and he ran off.

Sometimes you have to just enjoy the view, and let the world go by without photographing it. One thing I know for sure, goldfinches, squirrels, rabbits, etc... will come back if there is food. Just wait a few minutes.

You're right sometimes you just have to enjoy the view and forget about...where is the camera. Your story reminded me of when I was about 12, my mom, sister and I went to our local state park. My mom was teaching my sister how to drive, so I took a walk. I came across 10 deer along side the road. I had to been about 10ft from them. I wish I was into photography then, like I am now. But it's ok, because that day is so pressed into my mind, as if I did take the photo.