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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Photographers without fieldcraft (1 Viewer)

mathare said:
This leads to tour groups bustling in, jostling for position to get the tick, then noisily departing in search of the next tick.
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On most tours there will be a large variation in the level of 'expertise/dedication'. Thus tour companies have to cater for the lowest common demoninator of boredom. Keep it bang, bang, bang so when there's more casual people on the tour, their interest isn't given time to wane.
 
stuartvine said:
Now this is another point. What is a really good photograph? Is it a technically superb, artistic, beautifully framed and lit house sparrow? Of course. Alternatively, is it that slightly blurry shot of a ptarmigan on top of Ben Doom in a howling blizzard that brings back memories of the sheer nastiness of the weather and the warmth of the pub and the jokes of your friends afterwards. Of course. Photographs can be technically brilliant and/or artistically brilliant and/or ornithologically brilliant and/or just personally brilliant. I love them all, but treasure the latter the most, no matter if they don't fulfil any of the other criteria. OK, I'm a rubbish photographer, so would say that wouldn't I? ;)
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The BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year recently has included a few shots that were clearly throw-outs and were either submitted as a joke or a con. An out-of-focus hare is one that comes to mind.

The test of brilliance must surely be the effect on a person who has never seen the picture before, without benefit of a caption (and certainly not a long explanation of the photographer/artist's feelings about the picture.) This means the subject can be significant, the composition can be significant, the light can be significant. Sharpness, I suspect, not so much: motion blur and suchlike can contribute positively. Colour, completely misleading: sticking with the BBC competition there was a non-winner that was of a Polar Bear. It was shot against the light in low sun and the bear was black, outlined orange - unmistakably a Polar Bear, an absolutely staggering image and I still have no idea why it didn't win.

There. Something to shoot at......B :)

John
 
Simon Wates said:
Yes BW - personally my only little quip is with beginner bird photographers who started out with photography rather than birding/birdwatching. In that I think I have a point saying that some could do well just birding sometimes to improve their knowledge of ID and fieldcraft. I say this with a view to giving good advice for the good - not as a rant.

In no way am I underestimating the enormous and increasing value of bird photography that we all benefit from - and the birds too.

I'm aware that snobbery in birding exists and I beg to stay far away!
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Far too often these days I hear the crash & raised voice of a recently retired person entering a bird hide.Clad from head to foot in the latest camo gear & sporting the big white lens without of clue of how to get a decent image or understanding of how the camera works.They then regale you with tales of trips to far flung islands.

Steve.:t:B :)
 
I've seen both birders and photographers marching up to, and disturbing, waders roosts over the last 25+ winters I've been wardening them. Regretfully, photographers have been in the majority. They also tend to be the ones most likely to chuck their toys out of the pram when asked to keep to a sensible distance. Luckily we are blessed with some excellent photographers who are prepared to wait for the birds to come to them. It's not a case of 'us and them' but, as the OP posed, a lack of fieldcraft. Both ( unskilled !) birders and photographers see full frame pictures in magazines, or on the web and ......... that's what they want ........ RIGHT NOW.
 
Farnboro John said:
The BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year recently has included a few shots that were clearly throw-outs and were either submitted as a joke or a con. An out-of-focus hare is one that comes to mind.
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The photographer will almost certainly claim it was an intentional artistic choice not a lucky mistake, but I reckon it's wrong to claim they're submitted as " a joke or a con".

There are so many images submitted, the judges get a few seconds of initial impression to keep or dismiss an image during the reviewing process. An images has be unique to catch their attention. Plus there's such a back-catalogue of great photos out there now that the judges are definitely making a conscious decision to reward the unconventional (look no further than last year's winner). In turn, photographers will try to understand what's in vogue and submit accordingly.
 
Telephoto Paul said:
The photographer will almost certainly claim it was an intentional artistic choice not a lucky mistake, but I reckon it's wrong to claim they're submitted as " a joke or a con".

There are so many images submitted, the judges get a few seconds of initial impression to keep or dismiss an image during the reviewing process. An images has be unique to catch their attention. Plus there's such a back-catalogue of great photos out there now that the judges are definitely making a conscious decision to reward the unconventional (look no further than last year's winner). In turn, photographers will try to understand what's in vogue and submit accordingly.
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I hear what you say but I put them in the same box as the Tate brick pile and Tracey Emin's bed. Sorry.

John
 
Telephoto Paul said:
509 Bandwidth Exceeded.

I can only guess at the tale it regales, but something on the site has become rather popular.
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It opens for me.

It concerns a person, with a camera, caught on camera trap within the tern colony enclosure at Blakeney NT NNR on July 16th this year. Police contact details also given.
 
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