Describe A Fantastic Photo Op You Were Unable To Capture, For Whatever Reason...the One That Got Away!

Brooks, perhaps all is not lost. You could give it a go on canvas.

Phyllis, you are right! I could. Thanks for reminding me of that. Happy birth-day, btw! Was just on my way over to the post wishing you one. Hope you're having a wonderful time!

Oh Brooks, I feel your pain on that one! I've had numerous similar incidents. The most disgusted I was, however, was the day I was standing at the wooded entrance to a field watching for my hawks and/or deer. I spotted something slinking through the tall brush heading toward me, and it was a fox! Oh JOY! I thought to myself, as I haven't been able to obtain a fox photo yet. And it was coming right toward me! I dropped to my knees and got into position with the lens....and the darn thing jutted off to my left right into the woods. I swiveled around to face the pathway I'd walked on to get there, and there she/he was, staring at me. I shot and shot before the beautiful fox took off. I was so excited. Only to discover later, my photos stunk. My lens doesn't like low light and it was incredibly dark on the path. Oh, if only....if only the fox would have kept on the original path in front of the trees...the light was perfect there. Sigh. I'll never forget it.

P.S. Unlike the other wildlife here that I can stalk to my hearts content because they frequent the same places daily...the fox has not returned. I haven't seen a glimpse of it's glorious red fur since. Double sigh.

Weekend before last - I went into the Tiptop house on top of mount Washington. I was taking a photo of an old stove when I started hearing banging and scratching against a window. For some reason I thought nothing of it focused on capturing the stove. It persists and I finally turn around. A bear cub had climbed the side of the building and was scratching at the window! I pull out my camera and try to get closer (as luck would have it I had a 10-24mm on my camera so he was a million miles away) and he immediately takes off (I snapped a pic but it was just an empty window). D'oh! Glad I got a picture of the stove!

Jai, good to know I'm not the only one! But, oh, too bad about your fox! You have SO many beautiful captures, but it's the ones that got away, eh! Sucks. Maybe, one day your fox will return! I see them around here, too, but never have gotten a worthy one either. Am like a kid in the candy store when I think I've gotten some goodies to upload to the computer, only to find most are duds.
Hi Toby! Lol re the stove capture. What a shot that would've been of the little cub at the window. I can imagine some good captions/titles. Oh well, another day, another opportunity. Thanks for the visual. Did you end uploading the stove shot to your gallery?

I was in NYC 2 years ago and Nicki Minaj was giving a free concert in Times Sq.
I was waiting about an hour for the show to start. A few minutes before the show started she made her way to the stage--walking right past where I was standing with a few bodyguards!! It was pretty neat, they were only about 6 ft away from me. And of course I didnt have my camera ready!!

Ouch, Jennifer, that must've hurt! Hate missing such opportunities, but, I guess, it comes with the territory. We have to be 'okay' with not always having our cameras nearby, or even when we do, not being able to grabthat great [or good] shot. Everywhere I go, I see the world through my lens, how this or that would make a great photo...or how I can re-create it in a painting! Lol.

Yeah true, its hard to accept "the shots that got away" though.
I did have my camera with me, just was totally unprepared for her to walk by like that. She did turn & wave in my direction however, on the plus side :)

An early fall morning with heavy fog I saw a very large turkey vulture perched upon a hundred year old tombstone in an old family graveyard

Jennifer's story made me remember all the times I wish I would have had my camera strapped to the center of my face. Of course with the lens I use, that would be quite painful. :) Oh well, the missed ones will make us work harder and smarter and be more aware the next time. :)

Hi Brooks. This is a lovely idea for a thread:-)

The one that irks me the most is the birth of my daughter Leni. She was only minutes old the first time I held her and I spoke to her. When she heard my voice she actually smiled. I know..I know..I've heard it all before..."she was too young to smile".."it must have been wind".."just a coincidence"..blah blah blah.. but NO. it was none of those things. I KNOW it was a definite response to hearing my voice. She recognized the sound of my voice and smiled the most contented little smile I've ever seen. It was an amazing moment which I would have loved to have caught on film. Ach well! :o)

A wave is good, Jennifer! Funny...but, still sorry you missed the shot.
Lol, Jai! But, whoa, some of those missed opportunities still hurt, eh. However, look at all the fabulous shots we've gotten...and those still to come, as you say. Be prepared, yes!
I can see the missed photo op, Robert! Thanks for sharing. Too bad, though.
Oh Barry, so sorry about that. But, the way you describe the birth & right afterwards is beautiful, etched in your heart & mind forever. Who needs a photo when you've got the memory stored where it counts. What a sweet & amazing story...and, yes, I do believe that she smiled when she heard your voice.

I have a pretty funny story of a missed photo - but below is the remnant I was able to capture.

I was taking sunrise shots one morning in Colorado. I wanted a large DOF so was shooting with a 1 sec exposure, f/36 and 5 sec self timer. I was almost set up for a shot when a deer's head literally poked into my viewfinder! I was stunned...

You would think that if that happened, I would be able to take a picture of it ...... but no....

I was so excited I forgot to change the camera settings - so.

1. I repositioned the camera slightly.
2. I pushed the shutter.
3. The camera started beeping (remember the self timer?)
4. The deer's ears perked up and he looked at me....
5. The shutter clicked open...
6. The deer bolted...
7. The shutter clicked shut...

You can see the results....

So funny, Dave! Thanks for sharing the 'end result', for better or worse. Lol. Great story. Perfect title. I know what you mean about getting too excited and forgetting almost everything you know in the process! Have a good night.

lol Brooks - I didn't put the stove up because it wasn't that special... But here it is:

'Special', like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, Toby! Lol. Thanks for posting your stove top shot! I like it...a lot!

I did, however, achieve this capture on the same day mentioned above in my initial post. All was not lost! Enjoy.

That is a sweet photo, Brooks! Isn't it funny that the photo that we "just missed" is the one we will never forget? Last week I was standing on the dock photographing the disappearing sun over the sailboats at a marina when the water was glass calm. Then, directly below me, out of nowhere, came the hugest yellow kayak gliding by at a quick pace, forming the most gorgeous ripples in the formerly still waters. I had no time to readjust my camera. In reality, it probably wouldn't have turned out anyway (getting darker by the moment), but I'll always believe it's the one that got away. Sigh!

I'm with you on that one, Patricia, Too bad...sounds like a magical moment! Like you say, though, who knows if it would have turned out at all. But, still, we wonder...if only...could've been 'the ONE'! Heavy sigh. Do hope you got some great sunset/water/sailboat shots from your efforts? Post one if you want. Thanks so much for the kind words re the little fawn capture above. Appreciate it. Good to hear from you. Have a wonderful weekend.

There are two places that I really want to shoot and I can't because both are scenes off major highways. The first is the entrance ramp to the NJ Turnpike in Weehawken, NJ. It is the best view of the Manhattan skyline, bar none but there isn't even a shoulder to pull on to. I have gotten great shots of the skyline elsewhere, but I would love to get it from there.
The second place is off the Garden State Parkway just north of Wildwood. That part of the highway goes over marshland and off to one side is a row of fishing shacks-brightly colored, in various levels of distress and quaintness, surrounded by the marshes and seemingly inaccessible. But one of these days...

Hi Louise! I know the feeling. Too bad you cannot find a safe spot to land in order to get a good shot of one or the other of those places. Both sound amazing. I have a similar dilemma, one is a beautiful pond set in the middle of a lovely pasture w/cows, geese, llamas & such, so bucolic a scene, but it is on the main highway going out of town with no place to stop! I've even thought of pulling off on the very slim-to-none shoulder & turning on the hazard lights so I can grab a quick shot. Lol. But, there's no way. I guess I could go knock on the front door of the farm to see if they'd let me roam the ranch to find my shot? Another one I'd like to get is off the freeway on the outskirts of Ashland. It's the best place I've seen to get a great panorama of our little town nestled against the mountains, a shot I've yet to capture in the way I'd like. You are right...one of these days!

I was out doing some street Photography, and seen this wonderful shot. The sunset, shooting down the street of a rural town in Oklahoma, Jinx. The problem was it was during the time everyone was coming home from work... So I waited for the traffic to die down, and it never did. I was loosing the light, the effects were mostly gone, and I was upset that I was missing this shot. I guess I am the crazy one, so I went for it. Walked out in the crosswalk, and stepped outside of it, and knelt down to get the shot. I had cars honking at me, and they driving by either side of me. But I got what was left of the shot, missed the better ones, but got this...

We were camping up at Killarney Prov Park and I knew I had only a couple shots left on my card - a Mama bear and her 2 cubs came to visit a couple sites from ours and being very excited about this terrific photo op, I started shooting and didn't get too far, remembered I had nothing left on the card - got my husband to run back to the bag and grab the other card and by the time he got back and I got it in well they were gone and I wasn't about to chase them!
Another time, I was in the bush by myself, as I normally try to go alone and I noticed some small blood spots on the trail and paw prints, so I followed it for about half an hour, I figured it was a coyote and I wanted a shot of it, but that didn't happen - I caught up to the coyote, it was just at the edge of a clearing, it turned around to look at me, I raised the camera but didn't get a shot off before it disappeared into some dense forest - decided I better stop tracking it or I could be in trouble

Dan, looks like 'crazy' worked for you! Lol. Sometimes, you just have to go for it, right...but, wouldn't want someone to get hurt while doing so! Thanks much for sharing both the description & shot. At least you were able to shoot something of what you initially wanted, which turned out to unique in its own way. Did you put the same descriptive in your gallery for this image? Would be interesting for the viewers to read. Good to hear from you.

I have a lot of missed shots I want to paint! I think I have it until I got to download and edit... And something is amiss!

Brooks, thanks for sharing your eagle encounter. To me the golden hour is anytime of day when you experience a moment when your spirit is uplifted by being in that moment if that makes sense.

Happy you checked back in re the 'eagle encounter', Duane. Yes, of course, what you say makes perfect sense to ME! Thanks for those words...spirit, uplifted, golden, moment...in that order. Smiling. Have a great day!

Chuck, the comments re your camera-shy dog are still making me laugh! Our pets do offer us endless opportunities for such great captures, it's true. And, who doesn't love seeing them!?

Missed responding to your post[s], HW. No offense taken, thanks! I agree, am pretty sure RFG doesn't need anyone to stick up for him. To each their own, I say...unless someone shares an ugly, uncalled-for visual, nowhere near the obvious intention of my original descriptive, nor in the vein of what others shared.
Know all about tragedy, war, accidents and so on. Been around & then some. Not a happy-go-lucky sort, having been through many a trial & tribulation...and, to that point, find it all the more important to express/create beauty, have respect for life & others...and laugh as much as possible if & when I get the chance. The way I roll.
Didn't mean for this thread to be 'light', per se, but the word 'fantastic', used in my description, could NOT be mistaken for 'horrific', in most [sane] people's minds. Good luck with those dog shots, btw.

Brooks, you are beautiful inside and out. Of course I do not know you in person, but that's the impression I have had, ever since you first came across my screen on FAA. What an upbeat idea you had for this thread. I'd love to see it continue to be what you had in mind.

Today my gentleman-friend and I ducked into our favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant for lunch in a driving rainstorm. As we left, I noticed the huge, abundant hibiscus flowers blooming in the pot by the door. They were covered with raindrops and soft light, just begging to have their picture taken. My friend gets a kick out of my creative bent sometimes, and this time he had to chuckle when I exclaimed as people entered the restaurant, "Of all times not to have my camera with me!" Fortunately they laughed, too, as I chattered away, exclaiming over these perfect flowers as if I had just landed Hawaii.

Honored by your most kind words, Connie! Appreciate it so much. Sweet of you to say. We will just chalk up the offending comments to a simple momentary 'glitch' in an otherwise perfectly lovely thread and continue, as you suggest, to keep it upbeat. I would remove the description in question, if I knew how? Enjoying YOUR gallery, btw!
Thanks, too, Connie, for your recent missed photo op above. I guess, like Denise says, we are just going to have take our cameras with everywhere we go! Sounds like it would've been a beautiful shot!

Downtown Tucson, a city known for its rich use of vibrant color on buildings....I looked across the street and there was a perfect shadow of a palm tree on the side of a commercial building that was painted part orange and part violet..so perfect that I thought it was a mural....I could barely wait for the light to change to get across the street for a closer look from a spot where I needed to position myself......then I saw chain linked fence about 8 feet high.
rats

'Rats' is right, Marlene. Love Tuscon! Too bad about the flooding going on. But, so true re the vibrant colors & all...especially the combos mentioned in your missed photo op! Argh, chain-link fence. Had to shoot through one of those to garner a wanted shot one day. Somehow, it turned out rather artsy. Used the links as a sort of frame.
Great to hear from you! Maybe, you could paint the memory of your image? Phyllis suggested my doing so re my original description. Just a thought.

Hi Brooks!
re: the floods in Tucson....just a silly story...we got NATIONAL attention....the only flooding we had this week was a ton of national weather people antcipating something that totally passed us by! Not one drop.....sorta disaointin, since we're always in drought mode :(

Had no idea it was all just a story! Yikes, thought I saw the news about some flash floods that wiped out several houses there!? Happy to know it wasn't the case. We are disappointed about no rain up here in southern OR, as well, plus we have the fires burning all around us and hotter than usual, dryer temps! We were supposed to get some rain today, but, so far, not a drop. Am not complaining, though, as many have lost their homes & more. Have a sister in the Palm Springs area, which is also in extreme drought, along with the added bane of [possible] earthquakes. Tough. Stay cool. B

My [pastel] interpretation of the 'eagle encounter' I posted a few posts back. Enjoy!

Marlene, we've had that happen in Houston too. Must have been a slow news day--or maybe wishful thinking. It always amazes me that meteorologists get paid to be wrong so often. I don't know of any other profession that would be so forgiving of that. Certainly not offshore engineering, which is big where I live.

My missed shot was a leaping white marlin. I was working from a ship doing my biology work with my camera and 400 mm lens at the ready. I always keep a low ISO in order to have less grain. At that time I shot a shutter priority and left it at about 1/500 of a second which was fast enough to handhold most shots and stop action. Well the marlin leaped repeatedly. But too fast for a clean sharp shot. Except when it landed on it back and fell away into the water. There was enough light to have a faster shutter speed but o time to adjust. Now I leave my camera with the aperture wide open which always gives me the fastest shutterspeed at the set ISO. That and a few other things i do allow me to always be ready. A similar thing happened when I long-eared owl came by me 100 miles offshore. On the other side of the boat someone yelled" Camera!", so I was ready. That was one of the many records of cross Gulf of Mexico bird migration I made that are in the records. Also not usable for prints due to motion blur.

Oh, wow, Bradford, what was an amazing image, the white marlin leaping over & over! Too bad you were not able to be a 'sharp shooter' that day. And, the owl, too, but at least you got some shots [even though not post-worthy] and a record to show for it. That's a plus! Good moments gone bad and blurry shots not-ready-for-prime-time make us learn & try harder to be ready for that next opportunity just around the corner or beyond the next wave? Sounds like an exciting & interesting life you've led, btw! Good to hear from you.

Connie, you are right about the meteorologists getting it 'wrong' too many times...and the press anticipating & hyping big weather happenings that don't, well, happen! I remember watching the news some years back about this awful, horrendous, terrible flooding expected from a storm hovering over Houston where my parents lived at the time. I was glued to the tube awaiting word and, sure enough, there it was, this flooding, which looked to be city-wide the way they presented it. Worried, I called my dad to see if they were alright, and he answered, yes, of course, they were fine...adding that it ALWAYS flooded in that one particular area of Houston when it rained. Ha. I guess the news crews knew, that no matter what, they'd be able to get a some shots of 'flooding' in order to save face.

Thanks to those sending emails & private messages...but, let's keep this thread going by sharing descriptions of your 'fantastic' missed photo ops, here! We've had some great ones, so, take a minute to 'wow' us with a visual accounting of your photographic could-have-been. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Driving into a local town , I was at the top of a hill ready to go down. As I was waiting in traffic I saw an eagle or a hawk fly over carrying a potato chip bag. The bag was turquoise color so I.m sure it was the Wise brand!
Not wise of me - my camera was in the trunk!

Lol, Gracie! That is some visual, the eagle flying w/potato chip bag...and the 'Wise' brand, to boot. Too funny...but, so disappointing not to capture! Thanks for sharing your story. Good to hear from you. Have a great weekend.

You made me think of a 'golden eagle encounter' of mine when living over near Klamath Falls for a couple of years. I had just been through a terrible loss and was having a pretty tough day emotionally. So, I called a friend in town & headed off to meet her for some encouraging words & needed support. I was driving my old red Chevy pick-up down the dirt road, which skirts the little valley surrounding my property, when, suddenly, out from the shadows flew a big golden eagle! Wow! He/she stayed just ahead of me, flying straight up the road, while bits of sunlight filtered through the pines. Magical! I think I held my breath the whole way. Just as I reached the main highway, the eagle turned & flew away. I stopped to watch til it was out of sight. A truly mystical experience...and healing, as well. I wrote a poem about it called 'Leaving Home', which is included in my collection 'With Each Breath', a journey through loss & grief.

Gracie, your description made my day! So funny. I was not expecting that at all.

Brooks, what a beautiful scene. I can hardly imagine, yet I hung on to every single word--encouraged by what you said. Thank you.

Another missed opportunity of mine was in Sedona, Arizona, where I was on vacation with my family. We had traveled the rugged Apache Trail, toured Navajo and Hopi land, and seen the Grand Canyon and Canyon de Chelly. We were ready for a brief return to the comforts of home when my daughter spotted what she thought was a McDonald's in Sedona.

No, it couldn't be a McDonald's, I said. No Golden Arches. These arches were bright turquoise! We inquired at dinner as to the reason: Building codes in Sedona, we were told, required keeping things "natural." I'm still not sure how turquoise arches helped McDonald's blend in with the red rocks, but we took our waiter's word for it.

Say it isn't so, Connie, the aqua arches in Sedona! Say what? But, I guess it makes sense...there. I mean, IF you have to have a McDonald's [in Sedona], might as well at least keep the outside 'natural' since the food inside isn't! Lol. Sounds like a great adventure beforehand, though, enjoying the trails, canyons & valleys with the family. What wonderful memories!

Thanks for your kind words re my last post, btw. Appreciate it, Connie. Have a lovely evening & tomorrow.

Brooks, I hadn't even considered the irony of the word "natural." That is so funny. Yes, we definitely made some wonderful memories.

Speaking of fast food, which I have just once or twice a year, another missed opportunity comes to mind: My daughter, about 15 at the time, was seated with me at the large front window of a Wendy's. We looked outside in the garden and saw a large box. (Don't ask me why it was there!) Stamped all over it were the delicious-sounding words "artificial cheese food product." She wondered aloud, "Why don't they just call it 'fake cheese'"?

'Fake cheese' would be too honest & straightforward, Connie! Lol. The truth is, well, sometimes hard to 'swallow'. Not that 'artificial food product' isn't truthful, but I think people have seen the word SO much...artificial coloring, artificial flavoring[s], artificial sweetener, etc...that they think that's just the way of the world now...and they are right, it is for the most part. Most folks don't pay much attention as to what that really means, though. Good for your daughter to notice & ask questions!

Funny re the 'fast food' line, btw! Just a note: I, too, used to eat fast food once [or twice] in a blue moon, but for years now have grown what I can in my garden, shopped at our local food co-op or grower's market...and read all labels. Think of it, what we inhale, products we put on our skin & hair, the foods & liquids we put into our bodies & brains, all make a difference, one way or the other. With industry & capitalism thriving as they do, here, it's a challenge to make much of a dent as far as turning things around! But, we can, one step at a time...beginning at home. I'm lucky to live in a town/area where the majority of people are very aware & pro-active. We recently fought the GMO lobby machine...and won, the only town in OR to do so via the ballot box! Look at littering & recycling...remember how long it took for that to catch on? For me, it's simplicity & healthy choices. And, Connie, whatever it is YOU are doing is working, beautifully!

Appreciate your shares...and kindness! Hope you have a wonderful Sunday evening & week ahead.

Thanks for keeping 'our' thread alive, my friend. Don't want it to end! Hope to hear more descriptions of missed photo ops, everyone!

Last winter I had to run to the store, just 2 miles down the road from me.I didn't take my camera and I saw a lone white-tailed Buck crossing a frozen swamp .It had snowed pretty heavy the day before and the background was beautiful. It would have been the perfect kind of image.

Hi Brenda! Great to see you. I can imagine what an amazing sight that was. Sounds beautiful, the snowy scene & lone buck. Too bad! And, yes, a perfect image. Thanks for your share.

On the same note, I came home from my walk later than usual last evening and stopped to gather the mail at the entrance to our driveway. As I began to back up, I looked in the rear view mirror and stopped in my tracks, for there stood a big buck [white-tail, too] smack dab in the middle of the street highlighted by the glow of my tail lights. For a few seconds, he didn't move; I didn't move. Perfect shot...right! I swore that I'd be prepared by keeping my extra camera in the car for just this kind of moment! Forgot. Another missed opportunity. And, so it goes.

Have a wonderful week, Brenda.

I have taken lots of photos of spots in which dolphins, hummingbirds or whales were seen just a split second prior!

Five or so years ago I was driving to Eugene thru my favorite section of hwy 126.. a little valley in the hills where something-or-other is farmed... as I came off hill I spied a farmer driving his tractor along the edge of the field. Riding beside him was a huge german shepherd, and the man had his arm around him. Just the sight of it brought tears to my eyes. I tried pulling over but reacted too late.. i thought i'd wait for them to pass me but instead he had turned off across the road and disappeared. While I didn't get the photo I've looked for similar images to work from one day when i get around to that painting.

Hi Barbie! I know what you mean, the spot where it's not...anymore! Lol. The capture that wasn't. Disappointing to say the least.
Good news is...we've been blessed to have gotten the many wonderful shots we do have...and are able to share. There will always be those, though, that could-have-been, the ones we still shake our heads over not being able to grab. You are lucky to live in such a beautiful area of the country & to have access to the possibilities of such amazing images! Great to hear from you, btw. Have a lovely week.

Hi there, Liz! Good to 'see' you. Yes, we DO have such beauty in our great state of OR! The hills, valleys, greenery, vineyards and so on. I can imagine the scene you describe so well. The farmer's arm around his dog {shepherds are my favorite} riding in the tractor...priceless. Hate missing captures like that. It's all about timing, of course, fortunately or un. But, it shall remain etched in your mind...and now we can enjoy it, as well, through your description & our imaginations...so, it ends up being a 'good thing'. Plus, there's the upcoming painting to look forward to. One way or the other, right! Thanks for the post, Liz. Enjoy your day.