Most frustrating missed shot?

While in Brazil where I was staying a wild Toucan landed in a tree no more than a small garden length away. What made it worse was I had my Camcorder to hand but the sky behind was sunny and virtually blanked out the bird in the tree trunk shadow. Although seen with the human eye getting a shot was impossible. It stayed in the tree for about 5 minutes but impossible to photograph ,was I frustrated? what do you think?

I feel your pain Bazza

Came back tonight after spending a few weeks at the cottage on Loch Sunart (Ardnamurchan)

We spend every October at the cottage and enjoy watching Otters, Pine Martens, Eagles (White Tailed & Golden) and Deer.

Seen them all on this trip but sadly the Gods had it in for me this time. Not much to shout about photography wise but still enjoyed the encounters when I had no camera.

On safari many moons ago, we were canoeing down the Zambezi river, when a herd of Elephants approached the river. My wife passed me across the canoe the recently purchased camera we had, and in a scene reminiscent of the any british relay team in the Olympics, proceeded between us (it is still debated to this day!) to drop the camera in the middle of the very wet canoe. Camera dead. Day 1 of safari. Only camera we had....

Few days later on a night safari we came across a pride of lions that had just killed a zebra. A male lion suddenly turned towards the jeep, holding the zebra's head in it's mouth. A great photo for everyone on the trip save two people....

In the early 80s we lived beside the River Lee at Tottenham Hale in North London. On the other side of the river was the Walthamstow Resevoirs with trout fishing available which probably contributed to the development of the 3rd largest Heronry in Europe.

One Sunday I was in my little garden ad spotted a heron perched on the road bridge plinth. I though it was spotting for fish so rushed and grabbed my Pentex MX (with winder) also my M 80-200mm zoom fitted. Gently stalked to the best position. Metered to f11 to get a fast shutter . Waited and 10 minutes later it dived in and I started shooting, no buffering so caught it rising out of the water. then it was gone with a small fish.... I think!
Got back and was effusive to SWMBO about capturing the shots of the heron. Was surorised when her face dropped. She asked if I had loaded it with film. Yep I did said I, yesterday morning..... she then said "I took the camera to the Spurs match yesteeday and used the film..... dropped it into Boots in the walk back".

Yep ... no film in the camera .... to this day I hide a spare chargedbattery and memory card, just in case.

Matches my leaving all my CF cards at home recently after cleaning my 50D. Discovered them missing when I got to Pembrokeshire. No choices. Carmarthen Cameras one direction or closer was Currys in Haverfordwest. Currys it was and got there 15 minutes before it closed. Tgey found an 8Gb Ultra..... So that is now in a SanDisk zipped CF pouch alongside a Kingston 32Gb... just keyringed to an internal loop in my bag. Close thing.

Same with my EOS M kit bag.... Fixed an SD pouch with 2 spare cards.

So easy to lose those potential great shots.

Steve

Last month, we were in a town on the South coast of Crete and our stay there coincided with a big wedding. So big that even though it was in the tourist season, they closed the town's car park to set up for the wedding feast - 1600 guests!
After we had eaten our dinner, we made our way up to a small amphitheatre which overlooks the car park and harbour to watch the goings on and take a few snaps (being post dinner, I had drunk too much to make "proper photography" an option!). Found a good spot, set up tripod and got a few snaps for the album.
At which point we became aware of hissing just below the amphitheatre as the fireworks were lit... Being up at the top of the amphitheatre, we were at about the same height as the bursting mortar shells and by the pantheon was it loud! Being at least 2 1/2 sheets to the wind and not having my reading glasses with me, I fairly comprehensively missed what could have been some great shots of the display. I did manage a couple of keepers but from a LOT of missed ones!
I now have a pair of bifocals so should be able to see the controls when I need to (although the darkness didn't hel mush!)

ROFL!

I blame ortocowrecks...

Brawn GP doing straight line aero tests at Kemble (I think - it was active on one runway with actual planes as well as using other bits for people with competition cars). I was testing there too on a different bit of runway, knew they were coming so bought my camera and an appropriate lens. Except I left the CF card at home, which I realised when I tried to get the photos off it that evening.

Few years ago at Oulton Park for BSB at the end of a practice session I'd been doing some slow shutter stuff when Shakey came out of Druids doing a stand up wheelie nodding at the spectators. Fired of a few but at 1/80 no keepers.