Wildlife Photography

[mdees88]

I'm no photographer, but several years ago, I was pleasantly surprised by this visitor in my backyard tree (I had no chickens, then). I laid on my lawn for a good half hour, taking pictures and just watching. It was a thrill, as we live in the burbs

Very neat. Looks like he was pretty close to you...

It was an eagle that got me started in photography. I fish in a creek with an eagles nest and I had taken a bunch of pics with my phone but they turned out pretty bad because the eagles were a good 50yds away. The next time I went in that creek there was a boat there full of photographers with big 500mm prime lenses getting the shots that wanted to get. That motivated me to buy my first DSLR and get started in photography...

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

Just small rant or whatever.. feeling a bit like an idiot. So the sigma 50-500mm I bought is actually the older variant and is worse than the newer version. When I bought it, the images all were of a different lens and I was scammed. As I didn't have the knowledge about the lenses at the time I didn't realise when it was delivered that it wasn't the right lens. The IQ difference according to Pentaxforums is significant.

I recently bought some pretty nice lenses, great value, a 50mm F1.7, 100mm Pentax Macro WR and 18-50mm WR Pentax (not Fantastic but WR so wanted one like this). Got a truly amazing steal of a price on the 50mm, the 100mm I got £100 cheaper than usual secondhand value and the 18-50mm was £50 cheaper. Was researching them a bit more and then found out my main lens isn't what I thought it was...

£600 not down the drain but pretty much so, I paid £200 more for the new version and it isn't even that version. Too late now that I can't do anything and looked at quick selling it but the best I'm quoted is £205. Pretty bummed, feel crap. Tbh it's massively disheartened me from photography, £600 is a lot of money..

 

[HopKat]

So you guys inspired me to brave the cold and take my camera for a walk. Look at the fluffy cardinal I found waiting to steal some chicken scratch.

 

[mdees88]

So you guys inspired me to brave the cold and take my camera for a walk. Look at the fluffy cardinal I found waiting to steal some chicken scratch.View attachment 3392677

That's a nice shot

 

[troyer]

So you guys inspired me to brave the cold and take my camera for a walk. Look at the fluffy cardinal I found waiting to steal some chicken scratch.View attachment 3392677

Great capture!

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

So you guys inspired me to brave the cold and take my camera for a walk. Look at the fluffy cardinal I found waiting to steal some chicken scratch.View attachment 3392677

Absolutely stunning, great job

 

[maceleneo]

Hi you all, thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures. Many species you portraited don't even exist where I live, so I would like to return the favour with some amphibians I met in my forests, in the Northern Appenines (Italy).

This little guy is an European cave salamander, you can easily spot them in caves (you d' never say!).

Fire salamanders in different colorations, you can see them in damp places or when it rains (don't see them often where I live, they have night habits).

This isn't a licorice candy, but a stunning Lanza's alpine salamander. This species doesn't actually live where I live, but I found them in the Alps. It was a foggy day and the paths were full of them, I was so lucky!

These are alpine newts, they live in small streams and old water tanks or waterers. I know some places around here where I can go when I want to meet them.

Last but not least the spectacled salamander, this one I found in my garden but it's not easy to see: it lives in a very small area and it's not so common, it was another lucky break!

 

[HopKat]

Hi you all, thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures. Many species you portraited don't even exist where I live, so I would like to return the favour with some amphibians I met in my forests, in the Northern Appenines (Italy).View attachment 3393232 This little guy is an European cave salamander, you can easily spot them in caves (you d' never say!).
View attachment 3393233View attachment 3393234
Fire salamanders in different colorations, you can see them in damp places or when it rains (don't see them often where I live, they have night habits).
View attachment 3393237
This isn't a licorice candy, but a stunning Lanza's alpine salamander. This species doesn't actually live where I live, but I found them in the Alps. It was a foggy day and the paths were full of them, I was so lucky!
View attachment 3393242View attachment 3393249
These are alpine newts, they live in small streams and old water tanks or waterers. I know some places around here where I can go when I want to meet them.View attachment 3393250Last but not least the spectacled salamander, this one I found in my garden but it's not easy to see: it lives in a very small area and it's not so common, it was another lucky break!

Hi you all, thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures. Many species you portraited don't even exist where I live, so I would like to return the favour with some amphibians I met in my forests, in the Northern Appenines (Italy).View attachment 3393232 This little guy is an European cave salamander, you can easily spot them in caves (you d' never say!).
View attachment 3393233View attachment 3393234
Fire salamanders in different colorations, you can see them in damp places or when it rains (don't see them often where I live, they have night habits).
View attachment 3393237
This isn't a licorice candy, but a stunning Lanza's alpine salamander. This species doesn't actually live where I live, but I found them in the Alps. It was a foggy day and the paths were full of them, I was so lucky!
View attachment 3393242View attachment 3393249
These are alpine newts, they live in small streams and old water tanks or waterers. I know some places around here where I can go when I want to meet them.View attachment 3393250Last but not least the spectacled salamander, this one I found in my garden but it's not easy to see: it lives in a very small area and it's not so common, it was another lucky break!

Salamanders would be fun to photograph. Hardly ever see them around here anymore and certainly not in the varieties you have shot. Great collection!

 

[HopKat]

Just small rant or whatever.. feeling a bit like an idiot. So the sigma 50-500mm I bought is actually the older variant and is worse than the newer version. When I bought it, the images all were of a different lens and I was scammed. As I didn't have the knowledge about the lenses at the time I didn't realise when it was delivered that it wasn't the right lens. The IQ difference according to Pentaxforums is significant.

I recently bought some pretty nice lenses, great value, a 50mm F1.7, 100mm Pentax Macro WR and 18-50mm WR Pentax (not Fantastic but WR so wanted one like this). Got a truly amazing steal of a price on the 50mm, the 100mm I got £100 cheaper than usual secondhand value and the 18-50mm was £50 cheaper. Was researching them a bit more and then found out my main lens isn't what I thought it was...

£600 not down the drain but pretty much so, I paid £200 more for the new version and it isn't even that version. Too late now that I can't do anything and looked at quick selling it but the best I'm quoted is £205. Pretty bummed, feel crap. Tbh it's massively disheartened me from photography, £600 is a lot of money..

I'm finding that photography is a hobby that I never feel content with the gear I have. It is very costly and making purchases cause me anxiety so I really overthink. Don't beat yourself up too much. Sounds like you leaned a lot and have some great new lenses to work with. Don't let that first experience rob your joy.