Can Luck Help Create a Photograph?

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.

A Packrat leaving the trap.

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.

White Pelican at Grand Teton National Park

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?