A plea

Alan McFadyen

Alan McFadyen

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Alan
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I have only been out once in months due to being so busy at the hides. Im planning to run the business through the next few months and yesterday two target species were found nest building (Dipper & Long Tailed Tit) Im looking forward to trying something different with these soon (not the same old birds on a stick.) I will not have the time to get many photographic sessions this Spring/Summer but the shots I get I do hope it gives some of the members here some food for thought and makes them try something different. There are a select few here (good photographers) that just seem to do the same thing year after year with no imagination. So come on folks raise the bar and use your imaginations and please stop boring the life out of me :) I understand that initially we all get the simple shots, but how many simple shots do you really need? I look forward to hopefully seeing something a bit different from your normal stuff what ever level you are on.
 
The problem Alan is there is only so many ways of photographing any subject, close up, wide angle environment shot, flight shot, bird on perch, reflection shot. After that there is just the occasional bit of variety, maybe a sillhouette or something like the starling murmuration shots.

lot of us don't have access to sites and land like you do, and not the time either - 3 days of nice weather and I've managed the grand total of 3 x 1/2 hour sessions - not exactly conducive to shooting high quality original shots.

Your sparrowhawk series has been stunning, but were generally very similar and I don't recall you complaining about lack of originality when you posted them.

I have to be honest and say your thread here is in poor taste and insulting to a lot of members. I take it you're still happy to take peoples money for them to shoot - in your own words - the same old bird on a stick.
 
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Pooley my post was ot meant to come across as insulting so apologies if it came across that way. You gave a few examples of what can be done and I agree there arent too many alternatives, but we hardly see anything but birds on sticks. For example how many wide angle shots have you seen here, reflecion shots, environmental shots? Not many that is for sure. Like I said my post wasn't supposed to be insulting it was done to try make people think outside the box.
Regarding time, I realise every one has different amounts to utilise, but no matter how much time you have there is always advances that can be made session by session. theres some on here that seem to have more than enough time, but all I see is the same old same old. If that satisfies them then I find it rather sad and it frustrates the life out of me. Fantastic opportunities right in front of them going to waste.
I agree that the hawk is rather samey and that is the reason I only photograph it now for promotional purposes, but even here I try use my imagination to change things and over the last few months ive came up with some ideas so that customers have chances of flight shots and wing spreads which many have obtained.
 
To give you an idea here I had a spare 2 hours today (first time in about a month) so I went and tried for some photos for the site. Yes its a birds on a stick, but because I used a little thought I got him with his wings spread several times and imo adds to the normal perched position . This was not got through luck it was done by thinking and trying something different. Its maybe only a small difference, but at least it changes things.
 
That's undoubtedly a beautiful shot Alan - I'd be more than happy to have taken it. However, like you say, it's still a bird on a stick, just a different pose.

I fully appreciate what you're saying, and I'm always one to encourage something original such as the crop on a Grebe shot posted by someone else earlier, but not everyone has the experience to try stuff like that, and this is where the forum members should try and assist with good crit rather than just the long standing 'good shots' or the recent disappointing series of sarcastic comments that don't help anyone.

Everyone here has different levels - I for one lack the birding and wildlife knowledge of many members around these boards - but by participating have learned a whole lot more over the last 12 months than I would have had I not been here.

Personally I think it is about time the forum members stopped all the point scoring and remember that we do this for fun. Without going into detail, we all know that's been going on
 
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Glad you see where Im coming from Mike. I am not experienced at photography (300 weeks :) ) and my gear is nothing fancy, but its not an excuse to try not to advance. I am really trying to push people on, Ive been there taking blue tits week in week out and I wish someone had gave me a kick up the backside at the start.
I suppose its like most things in life, some just get to a level and stay at that level.
For the record Im not trying to point score or anything and I know nothing of "the goings on" here as I am very rarely on this forum these days.
 
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