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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wanderer55" data-source="post: 1755405" data-attributes="member: 83479">I think that is a key here. For people who are not Professional photographers (I would say the ones who did this are not proffesionals), don't realize just what they went out and purchased when they bought that Canon 600mm lens. 600mm is very little magnification when compared to binoculars or a good scope. I have found countless (yes countless people with more money/plastic than brains), who go out and buy "big lenses" thinking they will automatically become Professional photographers. Of course the few real pros know it's the person, the skill, the "feel", the knowledge and the hard knocks to get there, that make a good photographer.It's also true about "birders". I keep saying I'm not a birder, but my wife is. It is true. I don't take it serious, she does. She has birded all her life and she has been around some of the very best in the USA in her lifetime. She takes it serious. She would not stand for a "photographer" to be around while birding. She would not stand for someone talking (even whispers). No walking right up to a bird, no fast movements, no doing anything that can harm or stress the birds if at all possible. I have seen some serious birders and I don't even go out with them. I take her there and I wait back a distance, as I can't stand still any more. I fidget and I want to take pictures, so I just stay back, not to disturb anyone else.What the main problem is here, is that too many "birders" and "photographers" don't know about and are not concerned enough about their "Craft" and I believe both are crafts. It takes years of dedication to be good at either one, but unfortunately we bring both birding and photography to the masses, because the money is there and everyone needs money, from the birding organizations to the photography industry. So........ we have masses of people who are out there and they really will not ever care as much as the true birders and the true photographers. You true birders and photographers are the Minority not, not the majority. I truely believe that. I see it when I go out. There are very few true birders and true nature photographers who really care about their world enough to give up their "better view" to keep from disturbing the wildlife, but there's a Huge Mass of us "wannabe's" out there mucking up the wilderness....... I really try not to. I know that I will never take it all serious enough and I will not (at this late stage in life), get much better, so I consciously try to stay out of others way, but I see people all the time who are supposed to be "birders" or "photographers", mucking it up for everyone, just wandering wherever they like with no thoughts (obviously) for wildlife.I believe that is the problem in reality here....Just my own thoughts, not anything else, but a forum is for everyone's own thoughts isn't it??</blockquote>

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