Spoonbill.

[TStone]

A Spoonbill and a pair of yellowbilled ducks.

[Messor]

@ Tstone, I do believe people learn more about wildlife from your posts than they do from the internet.

The community is lucky to have you.

[TStone]

[driepootx]

I as a hunter enjoy the walks in the veldt for the signs of nature that very few people see. Not just the big things but everything that makes nature what it is. Thanks for the good quality photos that you post. Concerning the "whole" of nature I am giving a youtube link and what you can see in it. Sorry for the little hijack.

[treeman]

Its a pity TStone can not share the sounds and smells, sound is a big thing to me.

Spoonbills are very intriguing to watch, just watch their day, its amazing.

[BBCT]

TStone....

I've been paying particular attention to your recent threads that include many superb photographs.

Apart from your skills & knowledge in the firearms & hunting field, you seem to have skills in the photographic field as well as the use of above average photographic equipment.

Is there anything you should be telling us.............?

[Brenneke]

No offence to TStone whose photos I also greatly enjoy
These should really be posted to a Photographic website where they can be critted by professional photographers
Thereby helping TStone to improve and move to the next level
As I have said previously -- wildlife photography is the hardest subject to compete in

Have a look at National Geographic Wildlife photographer of the year ..

https://africageographic.com/stories...19-winners/#11

[TStone]

I do not watch hunting videos. I do not like watching them and I cringe when there is a video camera present on a hunt that I guide. I believe that hunting videos does a lot more harm than good. Having said this, the video posted above by driepootx goes a long way in capturing what a really good hunt is supposed to be like. It does not focus solely on the shooting and killing but shows how much a walk and stalk hunter see and experience.

Sadly walk and stalk hunting seems to be going out of fashion, the majority of hunting venues, in our area at least, seem to prefer their clients shooting from the back of a bakkie. There are various reasons for this, one being the desire of the farm owner to make as much money as possible with as little effort as possible. More hunters also seem to be unwilling to walk after and stalk game, considering it to be too much effort for too little gain. We do not allow hunting from vehicles but every now and again a client tries bribing a guide to allow him to shoot from a vehicle. Our game have little fear of vehicles as they do not associate them with hunters. The only time we shoot from vehicles is during night culls.

Weirdly, I do not have any trouble filling my weekly hunting quota hunting on foot and find it more time efficient than trying to shoot game from a vehicle during the day. On foot, it is easier to get close to animals and they are often unaware that they are being hunted, giving the hunter more time to make a deliberate shot.

Actually, I wanted to post about photography but somehow managed to get sidetracked by the video. Anyway, while I enjoy photography and am trying to learn more about it, it is only a hobby and a somewhat neglected hobby at that. I have had no formal training. I do appreciate feedback, both positive and negative, and have learned a lot lately from forum members. Andrew Leigh, in particular, has been very helpful in pointing out mistakes and suggesting remedies. I have recently downloaded GIMP and am spending time learning how to work it. It is certainly not the most user friendly program I have ever used but I'm starting to enjoy working with it.

The equipment I use consist of an old Canon SX40 bridge camera and a Fujifilm pocket camera, I carry while hunting. Not the kind of cameras you'll find a professional using but I'm not a professional. The cameras are well suited to what I do. I normally take photos of animals or objects I run across while working. Often there is no time to change lenses or think through a shot. The photos I post is intended to show and share some of the more interesting things I encounter not to win artistic competitions. Still, I am aspiring to get better at this, I might even attend a course someday.

Thanks for all the comments.

[Brenneke]

I
I normally take photos of animals or objects I run across while working. Often there is no time to change lenses or think through a shot. The photos I post is intended to show and share some of the more interesting things I encounter not to win artistic competitions. Still, I am aspiring to get better at this, I might even attend a course someday.
Thanks for all the comments.

When the bug bites you will begin to learn the potential of an image from what you see / are looking at
but
Will be frustrated when you are unable to capture fully photographically what you see.

Photography is -- part science , part art , part inspiration

There is a good active camera club in Bloemfontein
Invite the club out ( out of season ) for a weekend and get a free course ...
I am sure they will jump at the opportunity.