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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fozzybear" data-source="post: 1560646" data-attributes="member: 69297">Well I came to birdwatching via photography, which was my main hobby and liking nature was just a background 'I like nature documentaries' type interest. It was photography that sparked the interest in birdwatching, helped by my brother, so I don't feel any regret about that aspect at all. Indeed it's the years I spent taking photographs that taught me to really look, which has been so beneficial to my birdwatching. I never really feel that the photography gets in the way of watching birds and if anything it's allowed me even greater enjoyment of them - taking a photograph of a bird allows me a leisurely look when I get home after I've enjoyed seeing the bird 'in the feather', sometimes enabling me to look at details I just wouldn't be able to spot in the field, or to identify birds that my iffy ID skills aren't up to.Also, digital photography has enabled me to advance my techniques and abilities far beyond that which I reached with film. The instant nature of the medium allows you to check how different techniques and settings affect the photograph and learn so much quicker. Not to everyone's taste perhaps, I know people who say they like the 'anticipation' of waiting for the film to be developed, but that's something I always hated and really limited my progression as I was too disorganised to write careful notes on techniques and settings.I love my digital cameras - they reinvigorated my interest in photography, led me towards watching wildlife and helped me make big improvements in my general and wildlife photography.</blockquote>

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