Remember the show "Seinfeld" was the "show about nothing?"
It wasn’t a show about nothing. It was a show about how comedians get their material. Calling it a show about nothing was good marketing and catchy, but it was also a bit of misdirection.
Art and photography are a means of expression, not an end in themselves.
For the last twenty+ years, I’ve had the privilege of working with two of the best nature photographers around, Dr. Spencer Moore, and Mark Chapman. They’re both here in McLennan County, and, well, look at their work.
They’re both photographers, but they’re also avid naturists and bird watchers.
You don’t get these types of photos by accident, and they don’t come quickly or easily. The photo took maybe 1/320th of a second for the shutter click. It took years of preparation.
A guy or girl becomes a whiz bang photographer, and knows all about aperture, shutter speed and ISO, but now, they’re going to take bird photos.
First, where are all these birds hanging out? Some are in your back yard; some are out in the wetlands; some are in the woods. They’re in different places at different times of the year, and their plumage changes over time. They act differently, depending on whether they’re nesting, and also depending on the weather. You may wait hours to see them. Some days, they may not show up at all.
You won’t invest the time and effort necessary to get great photos like this unless you enjoy the process of learning all this information about birds, and then get out in the woods and actually find them.
After you get your photography skills, and learning those skills is a lifetime endeavor, you need to find another subject you love. The camera is a tool to express interest in another subject, not an end in itself.
The capturing skills, composition, and capturing of the perfect moment are all photographic skills, but understanding the subject well enough to capture that perfect moment is a whole different set.
One last note: Spencer and Mark both travel and take photos, but a lot of their work is right here in McLennan County. You don’t have to travel all over the world to find exotic animals or beautiful locations. It’s easy to let yourself become desensitized to the beauty around you because you see it every day.
Imagine how much attention you’d pay to a sunset if it only happened once every 500 years.
Follow Dr. Spencer Moore:
https://www.facebook.com/spencer.moore.522
http://www.drspencermoorephotography.wordpress.com
Follow Mark Chapman: