Wildlife Photographer

I have decided (and my husband agrees) that God did not intend for me to be a wildlife photographer. Here's why: Sit on the swing on the patio in the backyard. Watch beautiful yellow finches land on the bird feeders and think, Wow, I could be taking photos with my zoom lens. Get up and go into the bedroom, drag down the tripod, open the camera bag, get out the camera, switch lenses so that the 75-300 zoom lens is in place, extend the legs on the tripod, attach the camera to the tripod, go back outside and...voila...the birds are gone. Not only are they gone, but they never come back after an hour of sitting on the swing and waiting...watching...hoping that they will come back within lens-shot. But they don't.

Once, a few birds did come back--sparrows---but they never went to the feeders. They stayed on the fence where my husband had placed some bird seed earlier in the day. Never quite close enough to get a really good shot, but still they were there so I took advantage of their stability for a few seconds and got a few good photos. Even caught a robin on the fence (see photo). But the finches never came back.

Yes, my husband is correct: I would make a lousy wildlife photographer because I just do not have the patience. Oh, and as I sit here in the living room, writing this story, the yellow finches are back on the feeder.