The Right Place And Time

Woody Allen once quipped, "seventy percent of success in life is showing up". A century earlier, Louis Pasteur observed that "chance favors the prepared mind". These two quotes can be distilled into a nature photographer's mantra: Prepare to show up prepared.

With the global ubiquity of cameras and photo enthusiasts, photographers amount to what is likely the biggest artists community in the world. Since taking snapshots is so simple that they occur by the billions, the conventional wisdom is that a great photo simply requires being at the right place at the right time. Have you noticed how some photographers have an uncanny knack for this? With preparation, you play with loaded dice. The word "prepare" appears twice in the mantra for a reason, namely there are two types of preparation that put the odds in your favor.

First, do your homework and anticipate the composition and light before it happens. Scout the scene before the sunrise or sunset. A simple way to find some of the best locations is to look at the local postcards and posters and make note of where the photos were taken. Chances are that if you find your way to one of these locations, you won't be alone because others have done their homework as well. Welcome to the artists community. Some might argue that taking the same picture as everyone else is cliché, or worse, plagiarism. Nonsense, nature is the first artist and she never duplicates herself. Moreover, few of us have the luxury of time to find the ever dwindling unique vantage point. Prepare to find the best locations and you'll be in good company.

Second, prepare your equipment for the task at hand. This means have fresh batteries, plenty of room on your memory card and carry your tripod. I once arrived in the predawn light at a popular Grand Teton location. A line of tripods waited at the water's for the start of dawn's big show. When golden light finally poured down the face of the Teton, the fellow next to me groaned as his camera shut off because his only battery was exhausted. I scrambled through my gear and offered him one of mine, but it was the wrong type. It was heart breaking. The other form of heart break happens when you stumble upon a once in a lifetime shot and your camera is at home. The biggest part of preparing your equipment is having it with you.

Being at the right place at the right time comes down this: Scout your locations, show up with your equipment ready, usually before sunrise or sunset, and carry your equipment with you for the locations and times you can't anticipate.

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