Photo sharing and discussion

Re: Why I take my camera with me....

Curlybird — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:54:18 GMT

Nice shot, and beautiful scenary!

Re: Why I take my camera with me....

Scsh — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:43:55 GMT

closer caption

Re: Why I take my camera with me....

Scsh — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:43:06 GMT

That's why I take my camera too!

We were watching whales in Depoe Bay, OR when I heard a bird singing close to us.

I couldn't see it and took a shot anyway, I knew I would at least get the caves on the other side of the beach.

Looking at the photo, I saw I captured this little fearless fella sitting on a dead tree high above the ocean.

Re: Why I take my camera with me....

lonestranger — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:50:48 GMT

I almost always take my camera with me, in fact, I use my camera bag as my man purse. My wallet, cell phone, etc, etc, are always in my camera bag and it's just become a habit of grabbing the whole bag whenever I go out. There have been ocassions though when I'll just pull my wallet out and head off into town to hit a store. Back in March, I was heading in to town right at dusk and was torn on whether to haul my camera bag with me. I finally decided that it was better to have it with me, so I headed in to town. Even though the light was fading fast and chances of getting a good shot were looking slim, I am really glad I decided to bring the camera along for the short ride. As I pulled out of my laneway and turned onto the road, I noticed something out in the field. I pulled the car over to the shoulder, grabbed the camera and snapped a few pics of this fella. That was the deciding factor for me, I never leave home without it now. There's no telling when a great photo opportunity might present itself, so why take a chance on missing out by leaving your camera at home.

Re: Why I take my camera with me....

Curlybird — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:58 GMT

Nice shot! Your life list is much longer than mine; I only have 74 approx. which is why I take my camera with me. Plus, the location where I work has a LOT of birds because there is a riverbed/bike trail in walking distance from my office. I go there on my lunch hour every day and have gotten a lot of new birds for my list - American Avocet, Black-Necked Stilt, White-faced Ibis, Green Heron, Greater Yellowlegs, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Red-Winged Blackbird, Turkey Vulture, Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, Cliff Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow.......................and a LOT of baby ducks!

Re: Why I take my camera with me....

MoJoWaxSwinger — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:14:52 GMT

Curlybird:

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it - you just never know

I battle with this sometimes..... I would trade good photos of common-uncommon birds for a good look at a lifer. I often notice that when I accidentally forget my camera, great photo ops arise. But, if I purposely 'forget' my camera, it is like fooling with karma and I wind up seeing nothing worth while.... for binocs or camera.

I try to bring it as often as possible though. The 'just having it' theory allowed me photos of a true albino and true melanistic gray squirrels (in the same month, same park) and a leucistic House sparrow that had an entirely bleached blonde head. I've noticed that when I do have my camera, I am looking at things in more of an artistic way.... trying to frame a bird, capture sunbeams coming through a landscape, to try and portray to a viewer what I felt and saw when taking said photo. For me, this also allows/helps me remember other aspects about that photo, that individual spot, the whole trip.... whatever. (see ramblings below)

That theory gave me one of my favorite photos to date..... I was hiking in Chugach National Forest (camped 3 days/2 nights), about an hours drive north of Anchorage in Alaska, and I wandered upon this guys territory. Beforehand, I took some photos of just the spruce cones because they looked neat in a photo the way the needles contrast with the cones.... so I already had the camera around my neck (another battle....when to have the camera out with the binocs, just binocs, just camrea....). Red squirrels give the absolute best chatter!

This area was several hundred mountainous acres of dense spruce, thickets of willow and alder, some open rock ledges (lots of sheep), and beautiful streams/rivers running through everywhere..... I was there in September so creatures were busy filing up for a long flight, or long winter. Tons of red squirrels, Boreal and black-capped chickadees, Tree/Fox/Golden and White-crowned sparrows, both crossbills, redpolls, siskins, Gray jays, Downy and Three-toed woodpeckers (missed Hairy there, got him further south.....missed Black-backed, got him further north), unexpected Dippers in an crystal brook, Juncos, Kinglets all over, Varied/Hermit and Swainson's thrush (missed Grey-cheeked!!!), Orange-crowned/Wilson's/Yellow and yellow-rumped warblers, N waterthrush, and Pine grosbeaks, moose, sheep, bear, ravens, both eagles, merlin, goshawk, Harlan's red-tail and Rough-legged hawks, The only obvious misses I had during that 3 days span were GC rosy-finches and Grey-cheeked thrush. I was in all elevations and habitats..... camera was out most of the time! (that is until the battery died the morning of the 3rd day)

(most of that was from memory.....had to bust out the old notebook for some.....)

Re: Why I take my camera with me....

Curlybird — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:56:28 GMT

I agree! I always carry my camera with me - I have gotten a lot of great pictures of birds that just came into my view or that I came across unexpectedly. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it - you just never know

Re: Why I take my camera with me....

kurt — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:52:48 GMT

Great shots both of you.

Re: Why I take my camera with me....

Matt — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:31:01 GMT

Interesting observations, totally matched my thoughts when I captured this shot a couple of weeks ago of what I think is a female western bluebird. Not the best angle to get all of the bird but certainly some artistic value when you capture it. Nice shot and interesting to see one's thoughts displayed through another birder. Fun.

Why I take my camera with me....

MoJoWaxSwinger — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:29:30 GMT

Every once in a while a bird will be in the right spot, at the right time, with the right lighting, backgrund, frame..... This little Black-capped Chickadee was one of those times..... taken at Shelton Lakes trails in Shelton, CT.

I just love the angle and the sunlight in this one. Obviously not an uncommon bird (fledglings were everywhere!!), but still a cutie!