“Wow, you must have been lucky to see that!”, “That was lucky you had your camera ready at that exact time!”, or “Did you feel lucky when you saw that?!” are all sentiments I’ve heard voiced at shows and exhibitions to myself and other photographers. Are photographers really “lucky”? While I am happy to have witnessed some of the beauty offered by this earth, this word is perhaps used too freely amongst some of these individuals.
Andrew Fleming, a Scottish researcher, leaving for vacation, left some petri dishes out in his lab containing strains of the staph bacteria. Upon his return he noticed that in one dish one of the staph strains had died near where a mold had taken over. Recognizing the benefit of being able to create a substance to combat bacteria, he worked for years exploring this discovery. The mold he discovered was later termed “Penicillin” and the the modern antibiotic age was born. Of course, many might say he got “lucky”, but in fact he had the knowledge and experience to recognize the implications of what he found. It took years of hard work and dedication, but his serendipitous discovery could have been lost on a less inclined mind.
Seneca, a Roman philsopher is quoted, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Pratice, patience, planning, education, all go into building an artist’s preparation for when opportunities arise and these opportunities do not come readily. For example, a photographer who wants to capture the morning sun on a particular mountain peak must research sunrise times, angles, weather conditions, and ascent routes. Once all this information is compiled and processed the artist can then prepare equipment, dress appropriately and ascend the slope to gain the opportunity for a beautiful alpenglow shot. Upon arriving, more preparedness is then required compose the shot, utilize the appropriate filters, and later process the shot to its fullest extent.
Creating art forces artists to observe to the world in a more detailed manner. With more observeration comes a greater the apprecation of the gifts of the this world. An artist’s main goal is to share the beauty that comes from the heart and imagination and this requires dedication and preparation. The thrill of capturing beauty could be perceived as luck, but the end result is a greater realization of the gifts we have. As for the gifts I have? I agree, I am lucky.
Technical Details:
Canon 5d Mark II, 17-40 f/4l @ 25mm, f/8, 1/13 sec.
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska
