The perfect opportunity...Missed!!

Nikon_Nick

Nikon_Nick

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I think weve all experienced times where we have missed the chance to take a great photo, because we didnt have a camera with us at the time, but have you been in a situation where it just wasnt possible to get the shot (even though you had a camera with you)?

Last week, I had to travel to Dusseldorf for a meeting for my work. On Friday afternoon, I was the passenger in a car travelling back to the airport to come home. As we travelled along the autobahn (at some considerable speed), I looked out of the window, and saw what I thought would have been a really good/amusing photo. It was a massive field full of sheep, goats and Llamas, and at the back end of the field was a huge MacDonalds sign about 25 feet high. It tickled me at the time, and wished that I would have been in a position to take a photo. My camera was in the boot of the car, and we were travelling way too quickly for me to have got a decent shot even if it hadnt been in the boot.

Just wondered if anyone had similar experiences.

Cheers

Nick
 
Yep. Driving down the M1 for work, on a mission because I was running late, and was just passing Chesterfield when I saw the most awesome sunset. Amazing light with that liquid gold quality that only comes around rarely, over a stand of trees that were just so, and I had the full monty in the boot - bag, tripod, the lot. In a perfect world I could have peeled off the M1 at J29, parked up in Heath, and gone and got the shot.

But I just couldn't stop, no way no how.

Gutted.
 
Motorway again here :eek:

The sun was setting and their was a field with some people in it burning the stumble,the fire, setting sun,and people raking the stumble,it was many years ago and i can still see it in my viewfinder,just no way could have stopped :(
 
Yip. Buzzard taking off from the roadside with a baby rabbit in its talons. I had a camera in the car - which is unusual for me - but it was obviously impossible to stop, grab it and get the shot before the bird was well out of range.
 
I live near to Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope and when not in use, it's left in a "parked" position facing straight upwards. Once when heading home from work, there was a rainbow that appeared to be coming straight out of the dish. Looked brilliant, although might have looked a bit photoshopped when viewed.
 
yep going over the M62 the other week, very light dusting of snow on the tops, with the perfect sunrise, the light was absolutely stunning
 
Walking round a RSPB reserve with my wife and daughter, we stopped for a break next to a spring fed pool and out popped an Otter

It casually walked along the bank, stopped for a wash and scratch then plopped back in the water

No camera to hand, had a compact in my rucksack, but was a rare treat just to have seen it so not that bothered really

Other time I was out photographing birds with a 400mm f/5.6 when a Water Vole appeared in a stream right next to me. Too close to achieve focus and by the time I walked back far enough to shoot only photo I got was the ripples as it went under the surface.
 
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Does forgetting to take the SD card out of the laptop count (too many times):bonk:
 
I used to regularly drive past John Smiths brewery on the A64, the field in front of it was always flooded, and I've passed some awesome skies, mixed with the brewery lights reflected in the water. Always looked its best when I was in a hurry.

We regularly meet couples an hour before sunset for pre-wedding shoots, we travelled about 30 miles to Roundhay park for one in the summer. The bride fell a bit ill about 10 mins in and as we were driving home the sunset was about the best of the year. I was gutted.
 
I was taxi driver/bag carrier shopping in Lakeside Thurrock last Christmas time (I think) when standing outside one of many clothes shops overlooking the escalator, when a youth band descended the escalator. They were all in a line descending with their instruments, think trumpets, trombone, bass drums etc enroute to their performance area.

They took up the whole length of the escalator, such an amusing sight but me with no camera in hand, it was in its bag at my feet as I thought I wouldn't bother taking it out as it would (probably) just invite grief from security.
 
dinners said:
There was this time I was driving alongside Loch Ness....
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:lol: Nice one Phil, photographs or it didn't happen…………oh right thats the point of this thread doh!
 
One of the many manifestations of Nod's law is that when something interesting happens and I do have a camera on me, it'll have the wrong lens fitted or (a few years ago) the wrong film... The more usual thing is for me to have not bothered to take a camera with me.
 
A couple spring to mind,

1) Driving over the North York Moors to a family party at one of the little villages (Castleton for those who know it) and as I came over Blakey Ridge the mist hung in the valley above Rosedale. Unfortunately I'd been on a work trip and didn't have any gear with me.

2) Setting up at Ashness Bridge in the Lake District, 5D3 on tripod, filters on, 24mm TS-E with a touch of tilt, all set, cable release in hand, when a red squirrel popped up right next to me holding a hazlenut. He sat there watching me, not more than 5 feet away, as I slid towards my bag to pop a longer lens on a spare body. As I fitted the lens it was as if he knew and he turned and ran off. I'm sure he gave me the finger as he ran!
 
i live in the countryside and was out walking the dog and no camera when al of a sudden 3 apache gunships flew down the valley in formation............Gutted:bang::bang::bang:
 
Nikon_Nick said:
I think weve all experienced times where we have missed the chance to take a great photo, because we didnt have a camera with us at the time, but have you been in a situation where it just wasnt possible to get the shot (even though you had a camera with you)?
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I've been to Kazakhstan a few times in recent years and last time I went I was invited on a fishing trip with some locals. It took about 8 hours to get to the fishing site on the Ili river by Landcruiser and the Kazakh countryside was wonderful as were some of the ruins and both deserted and occupied villages.

It was a trip of a lifetime and I'd have loved to have took some shots but we weren't there to take pictures and were just passing through on the way to the river with a car full of Kazakhs eager to get fishing. I'd love to go back and do that trip again but take a couple of days to do it shooting along the way.
 
I was at dartmoor zoo photographing the bears with my 170-500 when a nuthatch landed on the enclosure wall a few feet away - predictably it was inside the minimum focus distance of the lens :'(
 
I was driving around the perimeter road at Heathrow when that 'plane came in trailing smoke. Notwithstanding the fact that I was in traffic, the camera was in the boot of the car with a wide-angle lens fitted as well.
 
I was out shooting the wildlife in the local park and the wife was feeding the squirrels some nuts. They were coming right up to her and taking the nuts out of her hand and I'd got a Sigma 150-500 OS on the camera, next thing a squirrel started climbing up my legs, I was hoping it wasn't after MY nuts but I couldn't get a shot as it was well inside MFD.

Another time we were at a wildlife centre taking some shots inside the Lemur pen, I'd just got focussed when the viewfinder went dark and there was a nosy lemur looking right through the other end of the lens. Again, well inside MFD but quite amusing anyway.
 
there was a fantastic sunset last night, real top landscape stuff , partyicularly the view from salcome hill across sidmouth with a flat calm sea , and the setting sun lighting up the red cliffs beyond... only i was out getting quotes with a contractor and hadn't taken the camera - I did try to get some shots with my blackberry but ity doesnt cope well with shooring towards the light. (today i have the TZ35 in my pocket , which probably means its going to be 10/10 grey cloud)
 
Glorious sunshine here ATM, Pete. However, as you say, bound to change by sunset! Bit chilly and the breeze is stiffening a little.
 
Yes one misty morning week ago on my way to photograph a Steam train. Traveling quiet quickly and to the right was a tree in the middle of a mist and frost filled field and the sun shining just on the tree. With cars right up behind me and high kerb stones no way to stop.

Yes I did get some good shots of Britania at speed.

Trevor
 
I was taking photos in the Botanic Gardens one afternoon a couple of years ago and then afterwards deciding whether to walk up Calton Hill for the sunset or go home. Felt a bit knackered/lazy and the clouds to the West didn't look too promising so I headed home. Only to watch the most spectacular sunset /orange sky I have ever seen from my bedroom window (all I got were boring shots of my neighbours roof and tv aerial against a blood orange sky) - too late by then to head into town and up the hill as it's a good 30 minute walk at least. :bang:

Have missed a few good sunsets since then (one a week last Thursday in fact) due to being at work or whatever but none as spectacular as the one I missed yet so nearly caught by making a last minute decision not to go. :(
 
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All to often for the last few months of being out of action I've stood in the porch of my home watching epic sunsets just side on past :sulk: and this afternoon for about a minute I has a staring contest with a beautiful sparrow hawk that landed on my patio wall about 5 metres from where I was sat, with my camera between the two of us with the wrong lens on anyway...new as soon as I moved it would be off so didn't even bother and just enjoyed looking at a beautiful bird :)
 
MWHCVT said:
All to often for the last few months of being out of action I've stood in the porch of my home watching epic sunsets just side on past :sulk: and this afternoon for about a minute I has a staring contest with a beautiful sparrow hawk that landed on my patio wall about 5 metres from where I was sat, with my camera between the two of us with the wrong lens on anyway...new as soon as I moved it would be off so didn't even bother and just enjoyed looking at a beautiful bird :)
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Having being out of action myself due to injury I can relate to that Matt (the sunset that is) as it's down to being able.

The bird - well that's bird photography for you. The difference between 'watching' and 'photographing' a fantastic sight is huge. Even when you think you've missed a cracker the chances are you would have missed it anyway.
 
I was at my local Airfield the other week and had parked at the RVP car park for emergency services as my boy was asleep in the back of the car and didn't want to wake him

As I sat in the car park I noticed the outline of a WWII plane about 500m away nestled in amongst the GA aircraft.

About 15 mins passed and the aircraft started up, taxied in opposite direction to where I was and I watched it take off, do a low level circuit fly by and turn south.

It was a gorgeous Spitfire, I managed to capture the fly by on my iPhone but does this incredible aircraft no justice at all.

If my boy had been awake i'd have been stood right next to it taking photos, Gutted!
 
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Last night at around 7 pm the house a few yards down my lane caught fire, my camera bag was in the car, the fire brigade wouldn't let anyone out of their houses for fear of a Gas explosion, I have no problem with that, just angry at myself for having my gear in the car ( I was out later in the evening doing a portrait shoot for friends) and missing some dramatic shots :bang:

Les :D
 
I missed a beautiful sunset tonight. Takes about 20 mins to get somewhere okish for a shot, but the sky was lovely. I couldn't leave the room though, as I was busy with my little girl, so I watched through the window.

A couple of weeks ago, I missed an awesome shot of my little girl dancing with a musical penguin Christmas teddy. Sometimes though, it's better to just enjoy the moment instead of trying to record it.
 
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