PHOTOGRAPHING 'BLIRREDS'...

Digiscoping....

....a real bugger at times.



Red Knot and one or two Curlew Sandpiper (like you couldn't tell!?)

An exasperating mix of photographing birds and 'blurred's'.

I have written about my folly with the camera and scope before. Sometimes I feel like I'm getting somewhere and other times I contemplate tossing it all into the sea.

I have slowly come to realise that digiscoping may be somewhat of a black art. When it comes to digiscoping one must patiently endure a protracted and mysterious courtship before one moves any closer to true love, eventual mastery and possibly eternal madness.

For me, different photographic styles and subjects have revealed themselves to be situated in very distinct categories or levels of difficulty.

For example, the 'bird on ground' type of shot seems to be the easiest way to manoeuvre the tripod, scope and camera and get resulting images that are of a satisfactory standard.

Second in its level of complexity is the 'bird in bush/tree' type of shot. This type of shot is usually hampered by the movement and activity of the bird, the depth of cover the bird can dive back into in an instant (usually just as you pull crystal clear focus...) and the frustrating knack that your digiscoping set up has in refusing to angle upward beyond 20 degrees toward said trees.

But by far, for me at least, the most awkward shot to successfully execute would have to be the 'bird in flight' type of shot. You're often up against the velocity with which the bird is travelling, the blinding glare of the sun (that you will no doubt find yourself staring into) as you stubbornly follow said bird with the scope and the 'up and down, side to side' freedom of movement that is flight.

Despite my inability to do anything right with this rig that I affectionately call 'Quasimodo' I do occasionally pull off the odd fluke and surprise myself with a cracking image or two.



Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia



Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia