Occasionally I just have to vent about some of my photography frustrations.
Every nature photographer has them. Landscape photogs spend countless hours waiting for just the right light and dramatic clouds which often never materialize, those specializing in wildlife (especially mammals) often have to travel great distances to even find their subjects, macro nature photographers have to deal with slight breezes and fickle light that can ruin their shots and those who focus on flowers have a limited season.
But bird photographers may have the most challenging subjects of all (perhaps my bias is creeping in here, but I doubt it). Birds tend to be twitchy, unpredictable, shy and incredibly fast. Their relatively compact bodies at rest, because of their large wings, can double or triple in size instantaneously when they take off which makes it a huge challenge to avoid clipping body parts. And the direction they fly at takeoff or turn while in flight is often impossible to anticipate which makes maintaining focus lock a huge challenge.
All these factors lead to a very high percentage of garbage shots. I generally save significantly less than 10% of my images and I can accept that. But what really hurts is when one of those missed shots had the potential to be a pretty special image. It doesn’t happen often but when it does I usually keep them to remind me of “what could have been”. The down-side of doing so is the angst it causes me every time I see those images.
Following are some recent examples:
While shooting hummingbirds from my pickup 10 days ago I had to twist to my left to the limit of space provided by my window opening to even get this Sage Thrasher in my viewfinder as it was perched. My motive was simply to watch the bird for a few seconds since the setting was so cluttered with branches that I knew I wouldn’t get any pleasing shots but when the bird took off I instinctively pressed the shutter button. I loved the resulting flight posture of the bird with the splayed tail showing the interesting white tail markings, the light under the bird and the running position of the feet and legs.
But the image is unsalvageable due to the cluttered setting and the tightness on the left.
My next example is another Sage Thrasher. This bird was singing on the sagebrush when it very unexpectedly took off slightly to my right. Again I fired instinctively and didn’t even know until I got home that it had attempted to snag this large fly (likely a horse fly) that flew by right in front of the bird. I really like the tipped flight position with the arced wings, the focus of the bird locked onto the fly and the overall action.
But the list of deficiencies of this shot is a long one. Neither the fly nor the thrasher are sharp, I clipped the bird’s wing and the fly looks kind of strange – as if it’s right side had been cut off by some kind of amateurish processing (all I did was attempt to sharpen the insect). All I can do is keep the image as a reminder of what could have been so I’m better prepared for “the next time”.
But of the three examples I’m providing here, this one might have hurt the most. One of my primary interests with my photography is bird behaviors. I only have one image of a hummingbird “urinating” and that one was while the bird was perched. But this one was in flight, there’s an attractive flower to add visual interest, I like the birds posture and wing position and the fact that it’s well isolated from the background so the behavior is highlighted.
But the bird is soft! Much too soft. It had been feeding on the flower and instantly backed up to “urinate”. When it did my focus stayed locked on the flower’s stamens instead of the bird. Bummer!
I love bird photography – both the process in the field and the resulting images. And naturally there are frustrations – if it were easy it wouldn’t be as much fun.
But every so often I have to rant about those frustrations. For me, doing so is cathartic…
Ron
Note: I’m delighted to be “on the road” again – it’s been a very long time between camping trips! As per usual I won’t be able to respond to comments for a few days (extremely spotty phone signal and no computer) but I do get your comments via email on my phone and enjoy them very much. Hope to have some interesting shots to share when we get back!
You are so funny, your throw away shots are what us duffers consider out great shots. As I’ve said before you are the best bird photographer and I do think you are too hard on yourself. I certainly don’t expect perfection consistently. Thanks for sharing your amazing throw away shots! All 3 are fantastic in my eyes!
Charlotte
You set yourself such high standards. Dick Harlow is right – these images may not be ideal, but show things which most of us could only dream of. Thank you so much for them.
Re: ” a photographer’s heartbreak”—I think you ought to take a couple of Heart Guard pills and forget the angst. They work for my dogs. I can send you some. of ours…in the meantime, keep up the great shooting!
These photos may not be perfect in some senses, but what they capture is important. I’m glad you saved and shared these images. I find that my focus is on what the birds are doing rather than the imperfections of the shots (although I do see them when they’re real obvious like the clipped wing). I sympathize with your frustrations about what they could have been. Probably I and others can appreciate them more than you because we are not so close to them…
Ron, you’re strolling along and see a coin on the ground. Look more closely to see that it says “AMBITION”. Hummm. Pick it up, look on the other side and you’ll find that you’ve also picked up “FRUSTRATION”. Dang! It happens every time. Thank you for sharing, and keep on clicking.
Ron, thank you for sharing your angst and for providing great teaching examples.
I’m just glad all MY shots are perfect! 🙂
Ron! For Pete’s sake! Some of us would give anything to get shots like these…I sure would! These “heartbreakers’ AREN’T YOUR TYPICAL, RUN-OF-THE-MILL shots, but are great glimpses into real life situations. I love the arc of the wings in the second frame and the intense focus on the prey…also like the funny legs and feet angles in the first. I ve watched hummingbirds for years and NEVER seen, much less caught on camera, of one urinating. I find the glimpses you provide into total, realistic behaviors fascinating! I WANT to see the things you’re lucky, patient and skillful enough to see…even if it isn’t always pretty, pretty. If it wasn’t for your photos, I would never get to see this stuff. Even if I was there, my old eyes and reflexes would be too foggy and slow.
Patty, I second what you said. I may not be quite as old as you, but I still would likely not see everything Ron sees and captures.
Ron’s “luck” (patience and skill) is our luck…if it weren’t for him, many of us would NEVER see these things. I am very grateful to have found his blog…my life has been so enriched by it!
These shots may have some issues, but I am of the opinion that they all tell a short story in the life of the bird and are great educational pics. Thanks for showing us your “garbage” shots. They are way better than anything I could ever produce!
Ron. Even your bad shots are wonderful and reveal just the twitchy unpredictable quickness that draw me to wild birds. Thank you for saving these and sharing.
I have to agree with what both you and Dick has said. People say to me, but you’ve photographed that bird before – but it’s always a new possibility of a better shot or showing some different about the bird. It keeps us trying! I hope you’re getting some great shots at the moment though without these frustrations!
Your angst, my amusement and enjoyment! I think it is wonderful of you to show these every once in awhile, proving that even the best has a below average shot in their book. I understand each caption and agree with your critique, but to some of us these images would have stayed. Though we might not have shown them, we would have kept them because they in themselves show behavior and are really, in my mind, not bad. Even though the hummer was urinating and the focus was soft, how often does one get a shot like that? Even though the fly is cut off, so what? A great shot of the intensity of the thrasher. We all set goals, set bars for ourselves and it is right to keep some shots to keep us try to meet those goals!! Many thanks for sharing.