Return to the Red Kite Feeding Station
The grandchildren are staying with us this week, so I took the boys to the Red Kite Feeding Station, which is only a few miles from here.
Despite, or perhaps because of, all the frustrations trying to get a vaguely decent photo last year (see Photographing Red Kites), I took my camera along with me again, determined to have another go.
As before, the sheer number flying about, and the speed with which they moved, meant I was initially overwhelmed with staring at a mass of gliding and swooping birds.
Stay still, dammit!
It didn't help much either that the guy standing next to me had a lens on his camera the size of a small bus, which felt more than a little intimidating. Additionally he had it set on high-speed burst, which meant eveytime he clicked, it was like a rapid-fire machine gun going off.
Which was kind of necessary.
By the time you've lined up the camera and pressed the shutter release the birds have moved, so the best tactic appears to be - make your best guess anticipating, and then take several thousand shots at once while hoping one of them will work.
Last year I took about 350 photos and was satisfied with only one of them.
This time I took about 240 and felt that about 5 weren't too bad. I would have taken more, but then I remembered I was supposed to be looking after 2 young lads under 10, so I put the camera away and we went for a hot chocolate.
At this rate, give it another 746 years and I might start feeling I've got the hang of it...
Despite, or perhaps because of, all the frustrations trying to get a vaguely decent photo last year (see Photographing Red Kites), I took my camera along with me again, determined to have another go.
As before, the sheer number flying about, and the speed with which they moved, meant I was initially overwhelmed with staring at a mass of gliding and swooping birds.
Stay still, dammit!
It didn't help much either that the guy standing next to me had a lens on his camera the size of a small bus, which felt more than a little intimidating. Additionally he had it set on high-speed burst, which meant eveytime he clicked, it was like a rapid-fire machine gun going off.
Which was kind of necessary.
By the time you've lined up the camera and pressed the shutter release the birds have moved, so the best tactic appears to be - make your best guess anticipating, and then take several thousand shots at once while hoping one of them will work.
Last year I took about 350 photos and was satisfied with only one of them.
This time I took about 240 and felt that about 5 weren't too bad. I would have taken more, but then I remembered I was supposed to be looking after 2 young lads under 10, so I put the camera away and we went for a hot chocolate.
At this rate, give it another 746 years and I might start feeling I've got the hang of it...
Post a Comment