“Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” — Terry Pratchett
“Inspiration and awareness without action is just entertainment.” — Unknown
“I have already lost touch with a couple of people I used to be.” — Joan Didion
“Golf is a game of expletives not deleted.” — Dr. Irving A. Gladstone
It has often been said that timing is everything and when it comes to photography, that may well be true in SOME instances. A recent post on the blog Photography Life titled “Shooting with Lady Luck” got me thinking about those instances when I was taking pictures and luck might have intervened.
First let me say that luck favors those who are prepared. There are numerous quotes about luck and anyone who follows my blog on a regular basis knows I collect and publish quotes. You can see my posted quotes here and one such quote by Oprah Winfrey states: “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”
One such picture of mine that comes to mind is the picture below of a Packrat that we removed from our property because it was eating our courtyard plants. Timing was all important as the cage was opened to release the critter and it ran full speed ahead to get away. It was caught just in time at the right edge of the frame.
Another picture where luck might have played a role is the picture below of the white pelican taken at Grand Teton National Park. When I took the picture, I did not appreciate the pattern that the ripples, light and reflections made on the water and I think they add a great deal to the picture.
I can go on and on of course and I suppose you could as well. Needless to say a person with a camera needs to know how to operate it to capture the scene at hand in order to render the picture well exposed, have the appropriate depth of field and a well-composed scene. It is always nice of course, to have the fates on your shoulder helping to guide the press of the camera’s button.
Check out the article:Shooting with Lady Luck for more photographic instances of “Lady Luck” helping to guide the camera/photographer.
Do you have a picture story to share about shot you took that incorporated a bit of help from “Lady Luck?“
“Grow wherever life puts you down.” — Ben Okri, The Famished Road
“Every gift from a friend is a wish for you happiness.” — Richard Bach
“It’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome. That’s what defines your career.” — Carlton Fisk
“It’s innocence when it charms us, ignorance when it doesn’t.” — Mignon McLaughlin
It is often hard to think about wildlife when we live in the city, but in the outskirts there are many animals who live and coexist in the world we have left to them. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area captured a number of pictures of a mother and her maturing mountain lion “kittens” as they feasted on a deer carcass.
The images below are just a selected few from the entire set posted on line at this link:P-19 & 15-Month-Old Kittens
The image below shows how majestic these creatures are. Isn’t this big cat beautiful?
One might feel sorry for the deer that is the feast for these mountain lion kittens, but they have to eat too!
Above is another picture of an inquisitive cat.
“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” — Mother Teresa
“It’s enough for me to be sure that you and I exist at this moment.” — Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
“Never create based upon what you think other people will like. Create because you like it.” — Andre Supa
“Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.” — Mark Twain
This is a wonderful picture with the moon looming large in the distance and the apparent country road leading right up to it. It would have been magical to have been driving on this road and seeing the moon ahead. Don’t you think so?
“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” ― George Lorimer
“There is a wilderness we walk alone however well-companioned.” ― Stephen Vincent Benét
“Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
“We don’t fade as we age, we become more concentrated.[ed]” ― Paulette Bates Alden
Deb Harrison gives some hints about returning one of the most difficult shots (IMHO) to defend when it comes your way. As she explains, preparation and NOT hitting the ball hard are two of the keys. Watch the video to see how it is done.
Your pickleball opponent has hit a perfect third shot drop. What do you do? Learn the best way to return the third shot drop in this video.”
“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit as vital to our lives as water and good bread.” — Edward Abbey
“And suddenly you just know it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” — Meister Eckhart
“The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.” — Orison Swett Marden
“Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats.” — Howard Aiken
