Record shot my arse


There is a Twitter account named 'Record shot my arse'. It features photographs tweeted from birders across the country that bemoan the quality of the images that they have shared, even though the said pictures are very good indeed. False modesty, fishing for compliments or bloody-minded perfectionists - you decide. The image that I share with you today is, without a doubt, a genuine 'record shot', that is a photograph that has little quality beyond being proof that I did indeed see what was before me.

Taken through a small opening in a barn door, in the dark and at distance, the image never really had a chance of being anything other than poor. This Barn Owl has been roosting in this same barn for several weeks and seems to be settled. The barn door is by a footpath and the owl is quite happy to have the odd birder peeking through at it. Whilst I was watching it, a pack of dogs ran past barking, which made the owl shuffle along the strut and hide in the barn's extreme corner, almost totally out of view.

Comments

Simon Douglas Thompson said…
Wish I had a photo opp like that
12 January 2019 at 21:35
Derek Faulkner said…
I'm amused that their is a Twitter account that highlights people going on about the quality of their photos. I always feel that they're simply wanting people to say "no they're brilliant photos.
13 January 2019 at 06:31
Ric said…
I don't believe Eric Hosking would have turned his nose up at a colour shot of a Barn Owl.
13 January 2019 at 06:53
Steve Gale said…
Digital photography has made the ability to obtain good images a thing that requires little time, skill or expense. The obtaining of top rate pictures is still something that all those three things are required for.
13 January 2019 at 09:17
dmcjournal said…
To me the definition of what constitutes a record shot must be with the photographer and depends on what they achieved opposed to what they could achieve in better circumstances.

A while ago I posted images of a Little Bunting on my blog and called them record shots because to me they are. They would never grace the pages of a magazine or calendar and dull, flat lighting resulted in dull, flat photo’s. My yardstick is that if it was a very common bird would the picture have any merit and the answer was no. Not false modesty, not fishing for compliments, just how people like me see their photographs.

I looked at the twitter site mentioned and can only say that it’s yet another reason to add to why I dislike social media.

Sorry if it sounds like a rant but I would much rather someone criticize a picture I like than say that I’m looking for compliments for calling a poor picture a record shot.

I'll go and crawl back into my hole again now ;)
13 January 2019 at 10:00
Steve Gale said…
That Twitter account is very tounge-in-cheek Dave but I can see how it could irritate. Ranting's fine, do it myself regularly!
13 January 2019 at 13:13
Stewart said…
Just been through your last 3 posts Steve. the patch list seems to be thundering along! I'm expecting a monthly total...Am I competing against Uber Patch? If so I need to pull my socks up...
13 January 2019 at 20:23
Steve Gale said…
Stewart, the Uber patch relies heavily on Beddington to give it a fighting chance of reaching a competitive percentage score, and that site is behind locked gates! I can visit, infrequently, through the kindness of key holders (I gave mine up). So, I intend to have two scores - uber and mini. If you agree, I will use the higher score.
13 January 2019 at 22:09
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