zacksoccer wrote:
Thanks MJ...great insights...when you see a photographer (and you are correct about his entire body of work) of this skill, it does make me want to work to be a better photographer..."use it as inspiration..."
Take a look at Imagemeister's picture with a now ancient Canon 80D ....this shows it can be done
But also look at the fact that he nailed the exposure, and the 'Gesture' is again about perfect.
While neither of these photographers can control the eagle's "pose" which is ever changing, what they CAN control is their position relative to the light,......and WAIT. They also have the mindset that if I don't get it today I'll come back tomorrow.
Here is another secret, Pros only show their BEST work. They spend more time waiting -for light, for the eagle , for everything to be right.
The average Nat Geo Photographer may spend Months on a shoot, for 8 or 10 pictures to make it to publication. These people would bring home the bacon with any camera they brought. Sure modern cameras help so why not, BUT it is all the unglamorous stuff that really gets the picture.
One last thing, a good question to ask yourself is "What do I have access to that others might not"
It might not be practical or affordable for you to devote the time required to shoot eagles, but there is SOMETHING that is both interesting and accessible to you where you DO ave access.
HCB said "Your first 10,000 pictures are your worst"
Think about what he REALLY means, it DOESN't mean that you can't have some great pictures among your first 10k, but that after 10,000 THOUGHTFUL pictures you develop a fluency in the technical side and a refined vision of the aesthetic side to be able to turn out great work on a more consistent basis.
Like "How Come the guy who buys a violin is a violin Owner, but anyone who buys a camera is a photographer"
With a Violin we ALL get how much practice it takes to be mediocre,(and you are STILL not a Violinist) but we somehow expect Photography to bee different.
My mentor Fred Picker, once Packed his entire view camera kit in his car trunk, unpacked it to ready to shoot , then did it 99 more times with a stop watch, because he missed a shot..... and partly because he was the kind of guy who enjoyed knowing that he would be the only one. But his real point was, ALL the little crap matters.
I'm sure he did not enjoy doing it, but I am certain he enjoyed 'having done it'
This long answer is because you had the guts to say 'this guy is better than me and I want to get better'
That attitude is the single most important asset for great work.
Go for it
Good Luck