A good photographer prepares and prepares some more, but things are rarely totally in our control. And so, there is often an element of luck involved in the craft. Why is it the best photographers seem to be some of the luckiest? This great video follows a photographer working through some images and discussing why luck often isn't really luck at all.
Coming to you from Joshua Peg, this insightful video discusses luck and opportunity. The old saying is "luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." In most genres of photography, there is an element of randomness, whether it is the weather, the light, who crosses the frame, or something else. And it might be easy to think that some photographers are simply luckier than others, but the truth is that those who are consistently producing images borne of seemingly fortuitous circumstances are doing so for two reasons. First, they have practiced and practiced their craft so when those moments arrive, they are ready. Second, they simply put themselves out there as much as possible so they are there when those magical moments arrive. After all, you can't capture those shots if you aren't there when they happen. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Peg.
Enjoyed the video. The Southeast US mountains offer a lot of photo opportunities. For me, I liked the branches overhanging the waterfall. My "thing" is to frame the main focal point, the waterfall. Will check your website for more. Cheers.
First I must say the branches are the nature part and we do not live in a studio! The video is great to follow the changes of nature never the same. The old saying you have to be out there in a place you like or been on a long drive and see a picture that needs to be captured the only way to prove it happened. I do what I see at a time when out.
I do some Astro Milky Ways and it is more knowing because of planning and watching and knowing how it moves through the year every month. I took my first image of it June of '15 after researching for months at the time when no info was on the net but pictures. An app with articles on its site PhotoPills only had the info. First I had the A7S that was the talk of the net and the 16-35mm f/4 lens, but nature plays the next you have to have. Have to have a new moon, so a calendar, some years the first of the month or last next what months. Shows from February to October best on a clear night. Clear night, you need a weather app so you turn into weather person. What direction, to the SE in Feb. to the SW in Oct. BUT that is for the galactic center. Framing put the Galactic Center to the right of frame so aim east, need maps. Need a dark place again the maps find a dark place. I went to my local beach facing east with dark sky over the ocean but there was lots of light behind me. But what about camera setting, then the 500 rule allowed for a 30s setting for f/4 to control noise with that long exposure camera NR needs to be on. Be in manual mode so f/4, 30s, next ISO low for less noise so looking at images and setting you start at 3200 which is low for the camera but other cameras it will max them out so yes camera choice is good. All things have a check mark so point at starry sky where you do not see anything BUT stars. Forgot not only the camera but for a long exposure I need a tripod but I am on a sandy beach and the tripod sinks in the sand so need some tennis ball on them ah finally ready to push the button. After one minute (NR requires another 30s) the LED screen shows a path in the stars that I can not see going across the sky. Looking back you look at all the check marks on the list to get that one capture and ask can I do it again? Yes I have the camera but will nature have things right again?
Yes but it is very cold in Feb. even in Florida so add warm clothing. Also you learn with other tools like using a Panorama Head to capture the Milky Way ARC a prize image. 1. first MW image 2. Another location but with a story sorta used Bracketed 3 @ +/- 1 EV using an HDR program got rid of dead and hot pixel. 3.Using on camera app to capture over a bright place 4. Gold prized a MW ARC in fog with color and light.
Some think your crazy every month. But over the years you learn that if the night will have bad weather you have also five days before and after a new moon, I discovered when I went early and as I left due to a high tide and driving back the moon came up and thought try that capture and behold the MW streaming above the crescent moon looking full in a long exposure but going back for a bit more images I learned when the moon is above the horizon the tide is going out leaving a beach clean without footprints and staying till first light my first capture of first light that only the camera sees with the MW above and using bracketing got driftwood lit with sharpness of bark not as a dark silhouette, the point if your mind sees it then while out there try to capture it. We learn on our own by experimentation with our tools.
The last most important is playing with processing programs that is the other very important tool to add the frosting on the cake, unlike playing games on a computer that never amount to anything but wasted time is you learn every time you do an image, like learning to blend panorama images with PTGui to get the gold ring MW ARC.
Another app Planit Pro will show tide height at every hour on a time scale instead of reading a tide chart.
Very important do not be afraid of light, just work with it!