I am living my dream as a wildlife and nature photographer. As a kid growing up in Palmetto, I used to pore over my Aunt Gin’s National Geographic magazines. I studied the nature photos, the landscapes and the wildlife. I loved those magazines and my aunt shared them generously. Back then I appreciated the photos for their beauty and for bringing me parts of the world I had never seen, but I never thought about how long it took to get those perfect photos.
I’ve learned over the years that you have to shoot hundreds of photos to get that one perfect one — the one you want to share with everyone. I expect an occasional out-of-focus shot, and sometimes the light’s just not what I had hoped and most of the time, I simply move on to the next photo. But there are times when something extraordinary happens in a fleeting moment and capturing that event can be thrilling. On the flip side, missing it can be frustrating, that moment sticking with you longer than it should.
I have learned to anticipate some fleeting moments, simply by watching animal and bird behavior. Their behaviors and habits offer so many clues. I can anticipate when birds are about to fly, I listen for their calls and growls, I can see when their demeanor changes for some reason and I know to watch for something to happen. That has served me well in capturing some surprising shots, such as two ospreys going at each other in mid-air. But sometimes, a moment happens so fast, you don’t get an opportunity to even frame the shot properly and if you’re using a manual lens it can take a second to focus, by then the moment may have passed. Nature is just that fast sometimes.
This brings me to my frustrating moment of the week — a battle between to tri-colored herons. I had my back to a mudflat when I heard a commotion behind me. I turned to see two tri-colored herons in what looked to be a pretty vicious fight. My lens had been focused on some birds up in a tree and when I turned, I realized I had to quickly refocus and frame the battle fast. In that split second, the moment was over. I got three off frames but none were sharp enough or in the frame enough to really keep. I usually don’t share my moments of frustration, but I know this happens to most photographers, so I decided to make an exception. Besides, I haven’t been able to get that moment out of my head — it’s like the fisherman with the one that got away.
Oh then there is that time the alligator jumped out of my frame…..oh there are too many…..
If you have one of those stories, please feel free to share in the comments below. And if you want to share that time you knew the thrill of victory by capturing that surprising moment, feel free to share that as well.
