On luck

There’s a lot to be said for luck in wildlife photography. Most of my photos I don’t plan in advance, and I just take what comes. I react to what’s around me as it’s happening, I watch and ideas come to me based on what the birds are doing. And there’s a lot of trial and error and missed opportunities. And then – sometimes I get lucky.

But it’s wrong to attribute photos to luck. It plays a part, yes. But we make our luck by putting ourselves in the right position. We make our luck by trial and error and making mistakes and learning new skills and techniques.

So when we get our ‘lucky shots’, it’s not by chance.

It’s part of the process, and a tribute to the skills we have to make the most of the opportunities that chance puts in our way.

Edin

Seabird scientist and conservation photographer working in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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