I missed what might have been one of my best shots so far. I was at the construction site working on the fox kits that live there, but I didn't see anything. Finally gave up and walked out, using my tripod as a monopod "just in case". Just in case happened, one of the kits was ahead of me, I took a photo or two and he started moving away. I don't know if he was running from me or if he just wanted to be somewhere else. At one point he went right past the front end loader that was sitting there, and I was so busy trying to fine-tune the focus, which was probably fine, that I didn't think until the moment had passed to hit the shutter release.
A fox skulking past a front end loader. That would have been a great juxtaposition shot: the big, hard, and man-made contrasting with the small, fuzzy, and natural. Even Marnie's photography teacher might have approved of that one. I'll be watching for a second chance at that one, but it's not going to happen. I can only hope I'll be alert to the next opportunity. When a second recognizable thing is in the viewfinder I should just hit the shutter release as by reflex. Maybe it won't be a great shot, but it's more likely to be than one that doesn't have a second recognizable thing in it. I've discovered the camera can act as an impromptu blind; animals don't recognize humans as easily when there's a camera in front of your face. I noticed that with the neighbor's cat, who hesitated to come to me until I'd lowered my camera. I got very close to a woodchuck because I was able to keep a big tree between us, and I leaned over and took some shots while the woodchunk just sat there and stared at me, until I'd lowered my camera, then the woodchuck ran. At the construction site before the event I'd described above, I was standing out in the open on razed ground, using my tripod as a monopod, and a doe didn't know what to make of me. She actually started walking right toward me! Until I hit the shutter release, then she ran. I should have waited to see how close she'd get. I guess that's one instance where "shoot first, ask questions later" doesn't really apply. Since the doe was also on open ground, I was essentially in control of the situation and could have afforded to wait. But the damned flies kept biting my ankles. Today, coming home, I saw some deer go into the little woods on top of the hill in our neighborhood. There's never kids in the playground when you need them, but I got my roomie to help. I set up on one side of the woods, he went into the other side and just walked through. Deer came running and leaping out in side view. Then some kids walked by on the sidewalk on the other side, and they ran back into the woods and gave me another chance. I've always wanted to try that. I'll see how the pictures turned out tomorrow. I was going to send this to Marnie by e-mail because I know she likes animals, but then I thought maybe someone on the PDML would be interested. And even if I'm just being totally stupid, at least it's bandwidth not used on abortion, homeless people, or the death of Pentax.
