One of the things I was most excited about photographing when I got my camera was birds. I’m not a birder – I know a handful of species but but that’s about it.
I had great dreams of the amazing pictures I would take of birds in flight. They would be crisp and clear and so detailed.
They were not.
You may not have noticed, but birds are fast. (I know, stop the presses.) There isn’t a lot of time to perfectly line up your shot, check all your settings, get the tripod out, etc., especially if you’re trying to catch one moving.
Now, I have a long history of perfectionism. I easily get frustrated when I don’t get things right on the first try. So why I am I posting all these failed attempts? Because I know it’s so easy to see all the amazing photographers out there and their amazing pictures and thing you’ll never be that good and why bother? But I’ve learned a few things over the couple years of doing this. First: like everything, practice helps. Second: for every amazing shot you see, there were probably tens if not hundreds of other failed ones that ended up in the trash. Third: luck plays a huge role. And fourth: whether you get the perfect photo or not, it’s wonderful to just be outside and surrounding yourself with nature.
But if you have the time and can find a good location and everything lines up in your favor, you can have some amazing experiences and some photos to show for it. A few weeks ago, I was at Firestone Park in the evening, when I happened to walk down along the river and saw a blue heron standing in the water, fishing. I was able to get right up to the water’s edge and even set up my tripod without it noticing me (or at least, not caring what I did). I watched as it caught several fish (and missed others). It was so cool!
So yes, even if you can’t get it just right, go out and have some fun anyway – whatever your hobby may be.
