afternoon of "almosts"

[jeff lapoint]

hello all,

Kinda in a photo slump as of late. Barely have time to shoot and when I do it seems I'm always just a bit "off" or a great shot is just out of my grasphttp://dgrin.com/images/smilies/ne_nau.gif.

Anywho, since many of you have shared in my progression from a beginner to a slightly more experienced beginner I thought I'd invite you to see a few "almosts" from today.

Went down to SJWS today around three. There was nothing really going on at the main ponds so I decided to take a hike into the back trails where I found this fellow...

http://lapiz007.smugmug.com/photos/30481926-M.jpg

Obviously, this is a huge crop. Now, I've been chasing this guy for at least a month and he always spooks whenever he even gets a hint that I'm near. Today, he was quite content to mock me from this pole on the other side of a barbedwire fence. I watched from the bushes for 30min waiting for him to fly toward the ponds...but he just sat and sat and...well, sat.

I then decided to head back to the ponds in hopes Mr. Sitty Siterton the Mayor of Sitville would decide it was time to mange...no dice.

Practiced a few BIFs that came out so so and then I attempted to try something new: the dragonfly in flight shot. I was having trouble getting one with AI servo so I switched to manual focus.

http://lapiz007.smugmug.com/photos/30481927-L.jpg

Looked like a keeper when I was chimping, but I came to find its a bit OOF and the wing is blocking the eyehttp://dgrin.com/images/smilies/umph.gif. Oh well, at least going out and getting a bunch of "almosts" are still fun for me! I'll be back at it next weekend if they let me out of my cagehttp://dgrin.com/images/smilies/rolleyes1.gif. Stay tuned for next week's edition of "slumps"http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/icon10.gif

Thanks for the looks and joining me during what I hope to be a brief slump!

-j

[bfjr]

Ok buddy, I need a map to this place ASAP, can't believe you got an osprey!!! WTG :thumb
and a DIF. What slump??? :D

[ginger_55]

Osprey, them is smart birds. Mine know my car! Hate those birds, actually, and they hate me. I am not photographing them much anymore. (Mine had babies), etc, I did it until I just could not take any more two hour sits, with the darn fisherbird circling above me, with fish, until something made the bird land, with a very ratty fish. No, no, the D bird would circle too far UP for my lens to focus. They can see anything/anyone.

And mine are far away, too. And they don't like looking in the sun, so they are always turned the wrong way, etc...........
I don't have macro, but I have tried a few dragonflys. The fun for me was all in the trying. Mine don't even make the "almost" category.

I do have a couple of Osprey I could post. I keep forgetting about them. They are not great, not an almost, not bad..............just there. If I had never gotten any, I would post one or two, but I did not stay around long. The advantage on mine is that the bird is eating, that is kind of cool, but also means his/her head was down.

I love the ruffled feathers on your bird. I try taking a shot when my birds shake. Heck, I have cards and cards of any movement from them whatsoever.

ginger

[jeff lapoint]

Ok buddy, I need a map to this place ASAP, can't believe you got an osprey!!!
You got PM! Thanks for the words of encouragement, maybe a ben tutorial shoot will put me back on track!http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/deal.gif

[bfjr]

You got PM! Thanks for the words of encouragement, maybe a ben tutorial shoot will put me back on track!http://dgrin.com/images/smilies/deal.gif

alrighty then lets do it. :thumb

[Harryb]

Hey Jeff,

Not too shabby. Ospreys are tough. I've been lucky but I've had a lot more misses than hits with them. They like to perch in a tree just outside the range of whatever lens you are using. The best bet is to find out where they are nesting.