Sometimes things go wrong in wildlife photography: Or maybe it's just me

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My Favorite Lenses
Favorite lightweight 800mm
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Favorite budget wildlife lens
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Bags
Favorite Wildlife Bag: shimoda-design... (Hall10 for discount)
Favorite Overall Camera Bag: shimoda-design... (HALL10 for discount):
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Website: www.hallofthew... (for workshops, presets, and more)

[@melvinshearer8640]

I love the way you laugh at yourself and the good natured back and forth between you and your wife

[@BrentHall]

Thanks, I'm really glad to hear that!

[@fcjr1362]

Nice job Brent…love the low angle duck images. Have you ever considered using a ground pod? Really makes the low down “belly” shots easier. One more item to drag along with you though.

[@BrentHall]

I'll give you 3 guesses as to what this video was originally going to be about... until I forgot the mystery item. I suspect you won't need all 3 guesses, though...

[@ProcrastinatorsAnon]

The merganser tip explains why I can't take any pics of them at a local playground lol. There's zero place to hide because the shallow pond is in the middle of an expanse of mowed grass

[@devernepersonal3636]

Man you are a master. Even when you weren't working the way you wanted you still made good things happen. I'm not sure if it is patience or a teleconverter that is the lesson here, but i probably need both.

[@leemen]

Just found your channel through a comment you gave to David from off the grind. Your comment alone got my sub. Going through your videos this morning and love it. Thanks.

[@BrentHall]

Oh wow, thanks man, I really appreciate that! Well, Idk what kind of stuff you're into or if you're into photography at all, but I have a lot of it on here, lol. If you want to see a couple videos that are a bit more about me, then I'll recommend these: Short one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIXdf6hpjbB_rs0 Long one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6eZdmOrjK-fqrc Or if you just get interested in watching a photographer mess around with cameras in the desert while his wife films and laughs at him, then there's plenty of that here too. 😅🤣

[@leemen]

@@BrentHall lol. Good stuff. We are into overlanding and off-roading. Jeep stuff mostly. Getting more interested into cameras and the gear associated with it. So I’m sure we will learn a ton from you.

[@seanmarlow9514]

Ooh, a new Brent Hall vid. My Friday just got even better.

[@lynnb9790]

Love the shots and the personal touch of the video. Thanks for taking us along ❤

[@BrentHall]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I was a bit nervous for this one to go out. 😅

[@exrog]

Another great video. Truth be told, most things rarely go as planned, like going to the park for a cookout and forgetting the charcoal.

[@Richardisonline]

Lol.. Great video again, Brent.. entertaining and awesome music to accompany the visuals.. you settled down to take some pics, and your battery runs low.. that rung a bell with me.. happened to me one time out photographing squirrels.. so I had a laugh as you also had a battery issue. Beautiful sunset landscape picture at the end. Perfect end to the day 😁

[@JordanCait]

Ooh, there's an Eagle nearby - Angry Birds Movie 2

[@BrentHall]

I was really hoping someone would get it...😜

[@Uwe_Mueller]

Hi Brent, don't worry, you're not alone with these things. I know professional and amateur photographers who have forgotten to change the battery and missed photos because the battery in the camera was empty.😉 One of the reasons I use cameras with a battery grip. Nice photo with the Northern Shoveler took off from the water. Really great! Wild animals really have no respect for the photographer. Just do whatever they want - unbelievable. 😊 Birds have ofthen their fun with me. They let me get into a good position and as soon as I lift the camera they disappear. They really don't make it easy. However, giving up is not an option. The play of colors with the duck brown feathered and orange cheeks on blue water is really beautiful. I have no idea what species this duck is. In general all photos in this video really nice. Interesting to see how you edit the photos. To get teh possibilty to be able to look over your shoulder. Thanks for that! Greetings from Germany Uwe

[@gcarmichael]

Very well done. Something I see in many videos is the zoom value with the camera crop mode turned on. Post crop is the same as camera crop, except you can adjust the crop detail (location) in post crop.

[@BrentHall]

True, but the main benefit for me is that if I know I'm going to be cropping anyway, then being in crop mode will really help the AF lock on and stay on better, especially with ducks on water, which the R5 struggles with sometimes.

[@RandyBeers]

Great video, Brent! Kudos to "Camera Lady" too. Glad you left the B roll footage in as well. When you smack talk yourself, you remind me of myself! It's always fun to see others who are just as human as ourselves. That one take-off shot was phenomenal! It was awesome, without having to cull through 60 shots!

[@BrentHall]

Thanks! Yeah, I've never been above a bit of self-deprecation 😜🤣

[@bryceacd]

Love it! Thanks for showing the REAL side of bird photography!!! …and all of our human flub ups!!! 🤣

[@BrentHall]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@ianbachanek2538]

I actually had a Blue Jay imitate a cat. Heard meowing about 20 yards from a known coyote den. Started searching for the cat but found the Jay about 5 feet off the ground in a tree doing the meowing while looking directly at me. Can't wait to get out this weekend!

[@Kellysher]

Wild! That would freak me out. I’ve heart cat birds do that, but not a jay. Wow!

[@Kellysher]

Love the music on this one! We have a local wetland where the best ducks hug the opposing shore. So hard to get them with my 100-500 zoom! I love the environment portraits! Showing the birds where we find them. I do like seeing your workflow. Happy Shooting!

[@kerrygrim7934]

Ive never seen a Northern Shoveler photo this good. Your other duck and Grebe photos are also outstanding. Here in PA, Blue Jays are very common and I commonly hear them imitate (perfectly) Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, and one time, a Broad-winged Hawk. That one shocked me, would not have believed it had I not watch the bird.

[@BrentHall]

Hey thanks, I really appreciate the kind words! And yeah, corvids can be seriously sneaky birds!

[@hawgbreath]

It’s been a minute since you’ve showed some of your editing process. It’s good to see some again, please continue this. 👍

[@BrentHall]

Thanks man, I'm glad you liked it, because I do want to do that more often and include at least even a bit of it at the end of videos.

[@bluejays5660]

Great video, extremely entertaining. I can relate to much of your frustrations! Doesn’t seem to matter how well prepared I am for a shoot I always seem to forget something. Or I bring it and can’t figure out which pocket I put it in, whether that be backpack, pants jacket or whatever! Thanks for sharing!

[@BrentHall]

Thanks, I'm glad it was relatable! I was hoping I wasn't the only one. 😅

[@ppww6076]

Oh my god.. 😂 Thank you for having a bad day and sharing it with us. I thought it was just me! You got some gorgeous shots anyway.

[@BrentHall]

Definitely not just you. This kind of stuff happens to me all the time. 😅🤣

[@MrBubinski777]

As always top-notch content and beautiful photos!

[@BrentHall]

Thanks man, I appreciate that! 😀 🙏

[@antoniojimenez7103]

Great video, I can appreciate it as I to have forgotten batteries, filters , converters...etc. Sometimes we do our best to prepare but things can slip our minds, our check lists and so on.

[@BrentHall]

Yeah, the military was really on the checklist bandwagon, and I love them, but sometimes I still forget, 😅

[@cloudpandarism2627]

8:09min i came for the tactical combat roll and stayed for the countless self insults. i just got the R7 with the RF100-400 and he is complaining that the missing tele converter wont give him enough range🤣 i wish i have your problems 🥲 nice video. love the over dramatic stealth operation movement while cameraman(woman) casually standing right next to you like: "what is this fool doing..." 😂

[@BrentHall]

If my boot camp and BUDS instructors could see me now...they would be so proud 😅🤣🤣🤣

[@cloudpandarism2627]

@@BrentHall for sure! they would be in tears. or stitches... that being said i am fat and can relate to see you getting up. feels familiar and i am glad i am not alone. #thestruggleisreal 🫡🤣

[@marknoll8052]

Thanks for the nice video. That’s a very big lake and I do not envy you with how shy those mergansers were. Here in Lincoln Park, Chicago, we have some hooded and red-breasted mergansers who are much more confiding!

[@TheApostateTapir]

Fellow Chicagoan!

[@hstein27]

Great shoveler flight shot. You really lucked out with that one! I hope a ruddy duck sticks around long enough to see it in breeding plumage near me this spring.

[@BrentHall]

Thanks! Yeah, I really can't believe I nailed the one perfect comp out of that whole fly out sequence with only the single shot. Serious luck! 😀

[@v739]

Great video.. what's your tip for photography in bright cloudy days like the one you experienced? I struggle with noise.

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

This is most of my winter birding experience. Last time out, I got maybe a couple of decent images. The time before that? Nothing at all. I can't wait until spring.

[@BrentHall]

I'm definitely looking forward to spring migration too!

[@uaebifvideo5472]

Northern Shoveler taking off shot is awesome!!👍🏼👍🏼

[@BrentHall]

Thank you, I really appreciate that!

[@Kellysher]

I shoot the R5 100-500. I was surprised to hear you shoot in the crop mode. I use it on rare occasions. Tbh,I’m not really sure how many MP or image pixels a finished cropped image should or could be. I get that is depends on posting or printing, etc but I don’t have a good guidelines yet. Pretty new and just enjoy being in nature vs being in front of the computer. Maybe a video about using the crop mode and how you process those size files?

[@BrentHall]

I don't always shoot in crop mode. Only if I know I'm going to crop anyways. It can really help the AF stay on better. I think I do have a few videos where I talked about cropping, but I don't remember which, cause they were probably in some of the wildlife q &a videos I do. Basically my personal rule of thumb, at least for posting images online, is that I can go down to 2160 pixels on the vertical edge. This fits perfectly in a 4K timeline or display. So even in crop mode on the R5, I still have ~18-19 mp to work with and I can still crop in another 30% or so to get to that 2160 limit, and if the image doesn't need to be cropped then I downsize as a last step down to 2160. That's just my personal workflow though.

[@Tainted-Soul]

its the funny part that your sneaking but the camera lady is right behind you lol some great shots and good edits too

[@BrentHall]

😅😜

[@HansMartinØvre]

The wrong going days are more common than we like to admit, but forgotten the day all goes as planned. I love your personal style of the videoes, by the way.

[@BrentHall]

Thanks, I definitely agree! and there's definitely more days like this than not, for me 😅😂

[@HansMartinØvre]

Tell me about it! I have learned over years to be patient, even on days where it doesnt seem like something will be happening, or if I just not in the right mood. Like last autumn, when I sat on post for over 2 hours, with little to no birdlife. Suddenly out of the blue a bird came flying fast and low, and I only get one chance to nail it. I did, and it was a hawk I never ever had seen before. Thats what get hours of waiting worth it, and let me forget all the bad days out there. @@BrentHall

[@guymatson7731]

Lake Roberts is always a great visit.

[@BrentHall]

True story!

[@stewartlittle6201]

I just realised why they call them ducks!! 😂 Great video as always 🙏😊

[@ProcrastinatorsAnon]

Our blue jays mimicking red shouldered hawks is *usually* detectable because the jays sound a little more nasal (?). For some reason, it makes me think of a teenager playing a prank lol.

[@BrentHall]

lol, yeah, sometimes they don't do the best imitations 😂

[@marcmurison]

A couple days ago I heard a red-tailed hawk, which was odd because all I'd been seeing (and hearing) were Steller's jays. I watched and waited, and watched and waited...no hawk, anywhere. It never occurred to me that I might have heard a jay imitating the hawk. Live and learn, and thanks for the tips!

[@BrentHall]

Yeah, corvids are seriously sneaky!

[@itsa_me_amikey]

Crop mode doesnt make sense to me, just use normal FX mode and crop down if you need to. Its literally the exact same thing...

[@BrentHall]

For me, especially on the R5, if I know I'm going to crop anyway, then I like crop mode because it helps the AF lock on better and stay on. The R5 has a hard time with smaller subjects and especially ducks on choppy water, so having it in crop mode helps it focus better. That's just my personal preference though. I still have plenty of resolution in crop mode for my needs.

[@Jimmiehammarstrom47]

Nice area! Have you consider getting a floating hide? (if its allowed to use in that area)

[@BrentHall]

I've thought about it, but it would be expensive because I don't have any waterproof suits anymore, and this lake in particular would probably be a bit too dangerous.

[@martharetallick204]

Just looking at that lens, it gives me an upper body workout!

[@BrentHall]

😁

[@sverreedin4229]

Thank you showing you are a human!

[@BrentHall]

It's a recurring theme on my channel 😅😂😂

[@DanBetty]

Definitely not just you 😂 beautiful Shoveler.. love the time travel (future u) and the tip on the yuckys 😅 and the 500 IQ

[@BrentHall]

Thanks man! Yeah, I'm still continually blown away by the IQ from that lens!

[@fredballas2544]

Great video and enjoyed it immensely! My first thought was at the beginning... its overcast? How can you take photos when its overcast? lol. I shouldn't let that stop me from taking photos as I am always leaning towards light and more light! Goes to show how you shouldn't let overcast days stop you from getting out there! BTW... camera lady must have the extreme patience? My wife loses hers so quickly with lets move on ect ect! lol

[@lynnb9790]

From the perspective of, let's say, an ambitious hobbyist; don't /ever/ let the weather stop you unless it gets life threatening. I took some of my best shots on days when it was so stormy that it was hard to breathe, not to mention stand still while taking the shots. I still remember the day when I took a picture of my father walking up a dune: When we decided to head to the shore, my mother went like "you must be out of your freaking mind!" Looking back rationally, she's probably right 😂 I mean, you could feel the car was shaking in the wind during the drive there. Still, it was just absolutely worth the experience.

[@fredballas2544]

@@lynnb9790 I don't think I have ever been in your situation (as of yet) and hope not to be! lol. I have been in a few thunderstorms and love the lightning ( from a safe distance) with a few nice shots to boot! I was mostly refering to the fact that I tend not to go out to locations if I know that the weather is overcast even though I have the lenses that will handle the lack of light. Its just that they are a fair distance away from where I am and I tend to wait for better conditions before heading out! My wife in tow of course! Many thanks for you kind input... Lodah and Olive

[@HusbandnWifeDuo]

Salute and respect from Ontario, Canada! Watched this video on our TV last night. We are guessing that, in addition to your TC, you forgot to bring your tripod and you had the objective of taking aerial shots of ducks, eagles, and the like on that day. We could be totally wrong though. Nevertheless, great video and education at the end of the video.

[@BrentHall]

Tripod is definitely one think I never forget. I have 5 of them in my car at all times. I just refuse to use them for wildlife 😅😂. My main objective for this video was just to have a good time out in nature.

[@HusbandnWifeDuo]

@@BrentHall OK we both got confused by your response to another commentator. You wrote something about 3 guesses for what you wanted to do there until you found the missing items or something like that. LOL!

[@dhondtdigital]

Curious, why shoot in crop mode with a full frame camera? Am I missing something? Can't you get the same results just cropping in the image in post processing and have a better chance of getting the bird in the frame? I'm not being judgmental, but I'm just wondering if I'm missing something.

[@BrentHall]

If I know I'm going to be cropping anyway, then sometimes I'll put it in crop mode because it will help the AF lock on and stay on target better. Especially with ducks in the water, the R5 has a hard time with that, so making the subject bigger in the frame helps it out quite a bit.

[@dhondtdigital]

@@BrentHall ok gotcha, that makes sense thanks

[@StephenHOutdoors]

The intro is gold!

[@BrentHall]

Many thanks!

[@jewelypix]

Talk about Mergansers being skiddish & trying to keep yourself hidden, I’ve been following a family of Wood Ducks almost 2 years & boy are they too skiddish. They are so Beautiful. I got some good shots about a week ago.. I’m going up there today, wish me luck, lol.. I’ll be checking some Mergansers near me soon too.. Love Your Channel!!

[@BrentHall]

Yeah, they're definitely skittish. Hoping I can get back out there for some proper stealth and hiding and get some shots of them before they head out for the season. Good luck with yours too!

[@jewelypix]

@@BrentHall Thanks so much! Have a Great Weekend!

[@EricWoodyVariety59]

It's easy for me to get hooded mergansers here in Virginia at Huntley Meadows Park Virginia.

[@MrCat-rk9ir]

That's a very dry birding session. You know if it's really dry if you are starting shooting song sparrows. 🤣. That happens to me once in a while too.

[@BrentHall]

Awww, poor song sparrows...he just wanted some attention too! 😂

[@EricWoodyVariety59]

Your lucky to get two pied billed grebes at once. Im happy to have gotten my shots of only one in 2020.

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

Wherever my camera goes, so goes my fishing vest with 2 spare batteries, 2 extra cards, and lots of other stuff. I’ve no suggestions for leaving the teleconverter at home. 🙄

[@AstralviewsUK]

Been enjoying your content :)

[@BrentHall]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that!

[@zach_hewitt]

Not just you. I drove a couple hours once to photo deer/elk only to realize I didn't grabbed extra batteries and the one in my camera was dead. Just memories in my head now....

[@BrentHall]

Been there, too! Now I keep a spare battery charger in the car, and a topped off ecoflow, so if I get somewhere and have a dead battery then I can at least put it on for a bit and get some more juice out of it.

[@yacinesalmi4416]

Love the video😅😅

[@BrentHall]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!

[@midnightconcept]

great photos :D

[@BrentHall]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked them!

[@midnightconcept]

@@BrentHall Love color choice and composition, they are rly pleasant to look at. Im here because I bought S24 Ultra and Im trying to learn how to use as much camera as I can from your tutorials :) I have some background with graphic, renders, painting but Im total noob in photography as this phone is my first "serious camera" but even though its just a phone I must say that I started going out more to the forest just to take photos, as capturing an object in focus against a blurred background in depth of field is so satisfying and addictive to do. Additionally, it is so calming and pleasant to be alone with nature that who knows maybe some day it will become more serious hobby :)

[@BigRedSpot]

It's like someone documented my outings.

[@BrentHall]

I was kind of hoping it didn't just happen to me 😅😜

[@melvinshearer8640]

Bird on a Rock !

[@spidersj12]

Get a battery grip, you also need a backpack that flips down into a chair for creature comfort.

[@ScottBaker1]

so stealthy!

[@BrentHall]

I'm really glad that came across well in the video! 😅😂😂😂

[@jennylackey1354]

Where was that?

[@BrentHall]

I'm in the gila forest in sw New Mexico.

[@mjhieusuper]

He used a bazooka to shoot the duck, which was unfortunate for the duck. 😅

[@WCIN]

Video Camera view is foggy

[@MattWiener]

Why do you need such pricy glass?

[@BrentHall]

Who said I needed it? I have it because it's what I wanted, and I love using it. Though, it's also a business investment, but whatever. I actually made a super long video about how and why I bought it if you really just have to know the whole story kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6eZdmOrjK-fqrc But in the more than likely scenario where you really couldn't care less, then thanks for checking out this video anyways!

[@Ericbjohnston5150]

Get a canon 7d mk2. No need for a converter.

[@BrentHall]

Nah, I'm good. I don't ever want to go back to dslr, especially that one 😅😁 despite my complaining, I'm still quite happy with the results, and with using the R5 in crop mode when needed. It's still far superior to the 7D2, at least for me.

[@MartinFransson]

Totally with you on the 7DII. If I had to go back to that one I would quit photography 😂 Had SO many focus issues with it. Even liked my 30D better than that one...​@@BrentHall

[@tatesue]

I really enjoy the before and afters ❤

[@BrentHall]

I'm glad to hear that! I really like showing the editing, or at least a glimpse of it, and the before and afters.

[@tatesue]

I came through New Mexico a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t see a single bird! Lol! Of course I was on the interstate but I appreciate your bird photography much more after seeing what the terrain looked like in person.

[@IsaiahMcAllisterImagery]

I fail every week… it’s kinda my gimmick. It’s the heroes journey approach to KZbin. When I finally do succeed… the results will be glorious.

[@BrentHall]

Love the the hero's journey. Joseph Campbell was one of my favorite humans ever.

[@lewcehjitl3282]

Get a Sony 😊

[@BrentHall]

😶😶😶...

[@EricWoodyVariety59]

Your always suppose to be prepared as a wildlife photographer.

[@colintraveller]

Top Drawer I had a chinese tog deliberately walk in front of what i was capturing . And do a shoot with some woman even though they both saw me . And they never even apologised ...

[@BrentHall]

That's definitely a bummer.

[@colintraveller]

@@BrentHall Was far from impressed ..

[@Heardbydeaf]

Angry Birds :)

[@douglas.landsman5791]

Man you are a master. Even when you weren't working the way you wanted you still made good things happen. I'm not sure if it is patience or a teleconverter that is the lesson here, but i probably need both.