mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

Not really, if you're conversant with Post Processing. 🤪

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

You can take a photo or make a photo. You can work a scene, or not. You can plan ahead, or not. It’s your choice. A pro at our camera club gave a talk on using the Photographer's Ephemeris and other tools to determine where and when the sun or moon would be for his landscape photos. I mentioned to him that it’s not really just luck then. He agreed.

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

That's easy! If you, or anyone else shot it, it was due to luck. If I shot it it was due to exceptional skill!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Even with all the planning, if nothing cooperates, no luck.
If it does, lucky.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Sometimes, it is luck - the right place at the right time. From what I've heard from the great photographers, luck often involves hours of waiting and many, many shots that are almost good enough.

Ruthlessrider

I agree completely. I am not a gifted artist, but I think I know a good photograph when I see one. Maybe it’s my impatience, maybe it is just my lack of training, but for me, a good photograph is one I arrive at by taking a lot of shots from different angles, distances, f-stops, etc., and I feel lucky if one or two turn out well.

My wife and I once had an Italian exchange student with us for a year. A great 17 year old young woman who had a wonderful gift, whether it was with drawings, water colors or a camera. In her one year here, she entered several artistic contests, never finishing below 2nd; one a statewide contest. Her compositions were wonderful typically with one shot. She and I would take our cameras out for a shooting, and I would take dozens of shots. If I got one or two I liked, I was “lucky.” She would show me hers several shot and almost all were wonderful. She just had a great eye, and I envied her use of a camera. Today, she is a film editor, and technically very accomplished in her field. Unfortunately, I think she doesn’t get much opportunity to shoot much today. Too bad.

genocolo Loc: Vail and Gasparilla Island

Quote apart from skill, sometimes being in the right place at the right time for the once-in-a-lifetime shot with your camera ready is just plain luck. What’s wrong with that?

FunkyL Loc: MD

one of the things I like about photography is there is always the possibility of the surprise lucky shot, whether you're a 12 year old with a cell phone, or a professional with all the latest and greatest equipment. It's great fun when that happens. Yes, discipline, training, and practice make great shots more likely, but all pf us get to enjoy the delight of the unexpected.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Sometimes, I arrive at just the right time when a thousand images will surely capture something.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Yeh, I guess it’s a matter of how many variables you can remove or incorporate. Can’t always get all of them right.

Bubbee Loc: Aventura, Florida

Mirrorless!!!

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

I consider many of my wildlife shots as luck, what is being in the
right place at the time called other than luck?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Luck favors the prepared.

According to one of our members that preparation is carrying a Canon.
--Bob