Bad pics of fab wildlife - part 2!

Old thread here: http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/chat/f/2542/t/22684.aspx

Because the original thread has, fittingly enough, 'gone bad', it's time for a new 'Bad pics' thread. Here, we celebrate the very worst of our wildlife photography. The subject matter is always brilliant, but the photos are very much not. If it's out of focus, chopped in half, frighteningly under- or over-exposed or terrible in some other way, it belongs here :)

Here's my first (first of many, no doubt) contribution to the new thread, a Goldcrest taken at Barnes yesterday. You need only minor incompetence to take a blurry photo, and the same to take a really under-exposed photo, but to do both in one go requires a special level of cackhandedness.

  • Unknown said:
    lol PB and Mike, you're being a little too kind but appreciate it ! I'll try a few more pics when we have a blue sky back and see if I can nail a more decent shot showing facial detail. Just thinking we could save these types of shots and then silhouette them out completely for people to "guess the bird" in a new quiz - only I think the streamers on this bird would give it away lol

    I'm being honest, as I'm sure PB is.

    I'd doubt a pro would get a much clearer photo, especially as you were shooting into the light, so the swallow will look darker, but you managed to get the light showing through the wings perfectly, and the swallow was crisp clear.

  • Unknown said:

    Time is running out to get a decent Swallow in flight this year. I seem to have the same issue as even when I managed to get one in focus over the weekend, it lacked facial detail. 

    It's run out for me, the swallows around probably flew out while we were in Wales.

  • You're right that black faces are tricky and you really need to get catchlight in the eye (I know Jim loves catchlights too!) but I was disappointed that not even the red throat showed. It's also been highly cropped which is why I didn't try too hard to lighten it (and, personally, I don't like the halo effect you can sometimes create as a side-effect, where the sky around the subject is noticeably lighter).
    Mike, here, the swallows haven't left just yet, but many do seem to have gone up on the moors where there are currently swarms of late upland insects. I suppose they'll soon be off, though.
  • I'll leave you to guess what these are, while I post the better ones ... bathing beauty

    Just shy

  • No idea Nige: but just for guessing sake …. Sanderlings ?
  • Unknown said:
    No idea Nige: but just for guessing sake …. Sanderlings ?

    Well, obviously you do have an idea, then, and the correct one ... well done Slight smile Unfortunately, the site was far too slow last night to post the thread as I'd intended. I'll see how it goes after dinner.

  • As always, brilliant examples of how we all strive for that perfect photo, and miss....

    Hmmm, this was supposed to be a bird of prey, that I'd seen on a gatepost, but when I finally was able to stop the car and take a photo, from that same gatepost, I thought it took flight, so I quickly grabbed a piccie, only to find it was a jackdaw!

    Oh well, lesson learned, have camera and right lens set up before the journey, and I might get lucky, next time....

  • Michael B said:
    I'd seen on a gatepost

    Shouldn't you have been concentrating on the road?? Grin

  • I might have caught your back end last night Hazel Flushed

    (except mine was little not great Grinning