I may have commented before how easy it is to set an increasingly high standard in photography, especially of birds. The slippery slope seems to have these stages:
- Being thrilled with a shot in which a bird can be identified
- Hoping for a sharp, properly exposed shot
- Being unsatisfied with anything less than a sharp, properly exposed, bird-in-action shot
Every once in a while, it does all come together. Just not very often . . .
Perfection, which may express the bird’s self-reflection in this choice moment.
Laurna – Thank you. He/she was just fishing relentlessly. There was no gap between swallowing each catch and watching for the next one. I wonder if they eat as long as there’s light.
My easy solution – take the shot and hope for the best. Maybe that equates to no standard at all, or maybe it is why I prefer taking pictures of landscapes.
John – Gordon Sullivan, US Army Gen (ret’d) titled his book, “Hope is not a method.” I think of that sometimes when I just take the shot, in photography as in other pursuits. But in defence of hobbies (among other more serious thoughts), G.K. Chesterton said, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” So we are both excused our poor results (when poor they be) as long as we are doing things we love.