More camera frustration

Today I was determined to go to Balmorhea and look for the Fiery-eyed Dancer that had been seen there several days ago. I knew it was a long shot, but fun to look anyway. I was not successful in my quest, but what frustrated me so much was my photography. All these years and it still hasn't improved. And it seems no matter how I set things in Av mode, they're overblown. So I set a fast shutter speed in Tv mode, but they were too dark. I'll just keep working at it until I get the hang of it, but meantime, I'm beyond frustrated. Besides that, my pictures are no sharper with my new camera than with my Rebel.

I took nearly 150 photos today and most weren't good, or sharp. I was surprised at one shot, though, because the ode wouldn't land so I took a half-way decent shot of it in-flight. That doesn't happen, well, ever. Here's the in-flight Eastern Ringtail.

This next shot of a Four-striped Leaftail would have been OK if I had been able to get parallel with the ode, so the tail would be in focus, but sometimes that's not possible.

Another frustration is the camera. Or do I repeat myself? Twice, during the 3 hrs I walked along the canals at Balmorhea State Park, and for no reason that I can conceive of, the camera body separated from the lens. That would have been catastrophic if I hadn't had the camera strap (that's attached to the body) on my shoulder to help with the weight, and my monopod, which was attached to the lens, firmly in my grip. I can't figure out any way it could have been something I did to separate it. My hand and my leg closest to the camera were both on the opposite side from the release switch.

Four-striped Leaftail

I ran into Melody Lytle. When I explained my overblown shots, she said I could lower the exposure compensation. I've done that before without any help, but at the moment she told me, I couldn't remember how to set it. She told me to press the shutter button halfway down and then turn the top dial. So I did, and nothing happened. Then she explained that the camera has an "on" position, and a "more on" position. And in Av mode, and probably Tv mode, I forget, you have to have the on switch to the more on position. You've got to be kidding me! OMG. Will I ever learn this camera? Speaking of the on switch, I've broken fingernails trying to turn it on, yet almost every time I go to take my first photo of the session, the mode position has been accidentally moved to the wrong mode.

There were so many people at the park that when I went to leave around 1 PM the exit lane was blocked with incoming vehicles. I don't know what makes them think that's OK. What if an emergency happened and someone had to get out asap. I'm either getting too old to deal with crowds or too spoiled by having my own oasis. I know I hadn't recovered from my hard day at the oasis yesterday before I went gallivanting off today. Three hours of walking carrying my heavy camera really did me in. And it was hot too.

Gonna have to slow down though because as soon as I got there my pollen allergies started up. Luckily I had my inhaler and allergy pill with me, so it was OK. But soon the pollen will get worse and those things won't help as much. Don't want to end up in the hospital with bronchitis like I did last fall. So gotta stay indoors more. Tonight that sounds doable. Can't speak for tomorrow.