Having admired all your wildlife photos, i have to confess to a near total lack of sucess with photographing the local wildlife in my garden. Not even one of the local squirrels who normaly spend ages draped over one of the bird feeders. As soon as i go to get the camera they are off. Birds ditto.
So has anyone got any tips to pass on for sucessfull wildlife snaps? I havent got a fancy camera, just a standard digcam allbeit with zoom so can get quite close and stay a fair distance away. Any advice appreciated.
Thanks
Keep the camera at the kitchen windowsill or wherever you would take piccie from.
No words of wisdom as I have only posted one piccie so far, but shall remedy that
this week when have some time off ;D.
Probably patience rather than any photographic skills will pay off the best. And as you're waiting, the will power to stay put, and not leap up to do that job you've just noticed needs doing. ;D
Geoff.
Have the camera handy and then trust to luck that you're there when they are there.
Move VERY slowly to get your position.
Quote from: tim on April 11, 2006, 12:09:35
Move VERY slowly to get your position.
I did try that once. It does work. Managed to get a few piccies of a young greenfinch up in the veg plot.
However i am quite an impatient so and so most of the time.
I don't succeed all the time. This afternoon the heron landed on the lawn and stood looking around for ages. Guess where the camera was? Attached to the computer downloading some pictures I took on Saturday, which should have been done then. Bet it don't land here ever again.
I was once sheltering from a downpour in a shed by the frog pool just over the fence from the site, when a heron landed at the other end of the pool 50 yards away. Quite a sight, but of course I had no camera.
Not quite wildlife - but you'll forgive me? Especially if I've said it before.
Wife missed a good photofee when she was - of course - without a camera.
Top of the hill here - Cow Parsley everywhere - amongst which the Morris Dancers were doing their thing - why there?? - and overhead, the annual balloon race - 20-30 multi-coloured balloons.
It has bugged me ever since!!
Very very carefully move near to a window. I was crawling along the floor to try and get as near as possible to get this shot of a Heron. They are so easily disturbed and the least movement they have lift off!!! so this is for Eric. Not a good pic, but a Heron .....
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/lowrieT/PICT1481sml.jpg)
Wow!!!!!!
What a fab pic Carol !!
Carol I love that photo with added mental images of you crawling across the floor. :)
Thank you.
...commando Carol ;D
i tend to take pictures of static things - they don't run away and stay in focus ;D ;D ;D
might move onto really slow moving things soon though as am feeling braver (am thinking snails, sleepy bumblebees, husbands?) ;)
Quote from: sallylockhart on April 12, 2006, 15:40:03
i tend to take pictures of static things - they don't run away and stay in focus ;D ;D ;D
might move onto really slow moving things soon though as am feeling braver (am thinking snails, sleepy bumblebees, husbands?) ;)
Me! Me! Me1 I've got one of those...
Debs ;D
I don't seem to be having much luck with my digi camera.
Have tried to take pic of mouse which is enjoying the sunflower hearts that I accidentally spilled on patio.
Took picture using zoom and tried on settings of 'sport' and 'portrait' but it is an undistinguishable brown
blob :'(
Debs
excellent c :)
Have tried to take pic of mouse which is enjoying the sunflower hearts that I accidentally spilled on patio.
Took picture using zoom and tried on settings of 'sport' and 'portrait' but it is an undistinguishable brown
blob
Have you tried working on the image in a Photoshop type program. It is amazing how much detail is in the original picture which can be brought out with a little judicious editing.
If you have no prgoram then PM me the original picture (if you kept it) and I will see what I can do for you.
What a nice chap!!
Or even Focus Magic? Me & zooms don't see eye to eye!
Palustris,
Sorry, deleted it in frustration, and think it may have been due to lack of camera info on my behalf, as I have tinkered with camera settings and have managed to take some half decent shots.
Shall post later...
Debs
It is frustrating when you see beautiful wildlife sharing your garden with you and knowing the camera is tucked away in another room...drat.
Today i was probably a foot away from a collared dove who sat so patiently on the fence as i stepped closer and closer to him.
I have a pic of my Heron too, not taken as close up as Carols and no crawling on the floor was involved in this shoot ;) ;D
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/Honeybee3003/1.jpg)
We don't have one of those - does this count??
It would probably be regarded as some sort of cheating, but Honeybee, if that heron photo (lucky thing!) was taken on a digicamera, it could be worked on to produce a shot of the bird against a nice sky background. I would try but downloading from here, the picture is too small and most of the detail has gone.
Your welcome to the original if you want to play around with it Eric.
Tim, now thats something ive never spotted in my garden :D
I have just been catching up with this thread and am v. impressed with the heron shots. I love herons and very occasionally we see one around here, I watched one being mobbed by seagulls once,which was quite a sight. Its great we are all trying to get wildlife shots, I tried to get some the other dayof our elusive woodpecker but could not get close enough for a good shot. Got soem rather poor shots of a jay which I may try and post later. I have Heldi's picture of a fox as my screensaver cos its such a good picture.
Carol, I have just returned from a few days in Devon so have just seen your heron picture. Well done for getting so close to it. ;D
I believe we had a heron in our garden sometime last year as all the goldfish disappeared. I didn't catch sight of it though. How lucky you are to see one prancing about on your lawn. I hope it wasn't after your fish though if you have a pond. :-\