Question for you nature/wildlife folks

[cinnamon]

Do you all take your camera everywhere you go in hopes to get a good shot? Or do have special places you go to in order to get those great shots? Just curious to know.

[Jaedon]

Both.

I carry my camera with me to work (I drive a transit bus) and you never know when or where you will see somethign that needs to be shot. I forgot my camera last Tuesday and regretted it when I was flown over by a pair of Kestrals.

Whenever I go for a walk or a bike ride I have my camera with me.. and when I am anywhere around the house the camera is always nearby.

I also have a few favourite haunts that I head to when I really want to get a specific subject. I have been staking out a pair of Red tailed hawks (still nothing good to show ) as well as a pair of Sharp Shinned hawks... and their nestlings..as well as a pair of Canada Geese that have made their nest in the boughs of a willow tree ... their babies are out of the nest now... and volunteers are checking to see if any of them broke their wings in teh 8 foot fall from the nest.

[Copy_Kot]

If I'm not at work, my camera is with me everywhere I go... for the same reason Jaedon mentioned. I also have a few places that I know I will always find something.

You will do yourself a huge favor if you dig through some of Loupeys threads. One of the reasons I admire him as a photographer is his ability to see the shot, meaning... he is able to find something simple (something most people would pass bye) and get a great image from it. I hope that made sense.

[Dylan8i]

yeah i almost always have my camera with me, unless i know i'm going somewhere where the risk is high it will get broken/stolen/ i know i won't be in the proper state to take pictures.

but i also go out looking esp for pictures to take to.

[mjs1973]

Welcome to the site Cinnamon. I don't take my camera everywhere I go. I do have a few spots that I like to visit and I take my camera with me most of the time. If I take the dogs with me, I find it too difficult to control them, and take photos, so the camera usually stays home. Same with the wife. When walking with the wife, it's better to leave the camera at home. She doesn't have the patients to wait for me to set up and take the photos I want.

I do some comercial lawn mowing as a side job, and then I will take my gear with me. Traveling the backroads between jobs is a great time to be scouting locations,and stopping to take photos of interesting things I see.

[Loupey]

Do you all take your camera everywhere you go in hopes to get a good shot? Or do have special places you go to in order to get those great shots? Just curious to know.

.... yes ...

[Bevb]

.... yes ...

Same here, yes.

[Loupey]

I like to think of nature photography as the extreme opposite to studio photography. Subjects are uncooperative, lighting is uncontrollable, background is undetermined, and the schedule is unset. Therefore, nature photography has a large component of luck involved. The more you have your camera with you, the more you can make luck work on your side.

I bought a camera bag which allows me to stow a camera already rigged to my 300mm. I keep it just behind the drivers seat and I can, with one hand, reach around, unzip the top, and pull the camera/lens out within 5 seconds. Yes I did dropped it once

In addition, I keep my bag in a central area of the house where I and everyone in my family knows its location for quick access. The key in an urban setting, is that you get what you get so one must always know exactly where the equipment is and how to use it fast. You should be able to turn on the camera, adjust settings, and take off lenses by feel only.

Be prepared - it can only help.

[mjs1973]

Wish I had my camera with me today. I was taking the dogs for a swim, and saw a badger sunning itself right next to the road. I have lived in the Badger State all my life, and this is only the 2nd badger I have ever seen. The first one was at night, so I'm not sure if that was even a badger. An opportunity missed because I didn't have a camera with me.

Of course, one of my dogs has a tendancy to jump out of the back of the truck as soon as I stop, so it's a good thing I didn't stop, She loves to run after critters. I don't think the end result would have been too pretty.

[Knight]

Yes i carry my camera with me almost all the time . I would say that more than 75 % of the time the bird photos i get are taken going from one job to another . And yes i have a few favorite spot`s that never disapoint me, theres always something to photographe at these special places. I have 3 camera bags at this time and im always switching gear from one bag to another. Im still looking for the perfect bag , anyone have one im open to suggestions

[WesternGuy]

One thing about where we live is that there is no shortage of places to go to photograph wildlife. The city has an amazing system of parks that teem with wildlife, mostly birds and gophers, with the occasional coyote. If you want bigger stuff, then it is a 1 to 1.5 hour drive to the west to be in the mountains for bighorn sheep, deer, elk, moose (if you are lucky) and the occasional bear. Have never seen a cat, but I know they are there because you can see the tracks in the snow in the winter.

The city is surrounded by farmland which in turn contains a number of sloughs with abundant waterfowl and shorebirds. There a few favourites we go to. About an hour south of town there is a large Ducks Unlimited project that is just teeming with waterfowl, shorebirds, redwing black birds, muskrats and other feathered creatures.

I don't have my camera with me at all times. Usually my wife and I will pack a lunch and venture out to one or two spots for an afternoon of photography.

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention, well actually two or three...there is a large city run bird sanctuary along the river on the east side of town...lots of ducks and geese and the occasional blue heron. As well, there are number of small provincial parks (day-use only) within an hours drive. It is probably safe to say that we could go to a different place everyday for a couple of weeks and never have to visit the same site twice. :thumbsup:

Cheers,

WesternGuy

P.S. There is also a very large zoo!

[readingr]

Yes I normally carry a camera with me 80% of the time, either the DSLR, SLR (film), or a compact.

Still looking for centres of wildlife within easy reach of Basingstoke and will always have 2 cameras on the boat when sailing.

Roger