thunderbird
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 p.5 #11 · Wildlife Photographer of the Year | |
Hungtran10 wrote:
Congrats again Andy. First NatGeo and now this one. You are on a roll buddy!
I think what I like most about your photography is that it is nothing special. Haha. Now let me clarify what I just said. The photos that you have won awards and publications for are not rare animals found half way across the world in some remote jungle or african safari. They are common subjects (ie the great egret and teal bif shot) but were photographed with exceptional skill to bring out the beauty of these subjects and to capture them in a dynamic composition. Also the photos that you produced did not require the longest lenses nor most expensive camera bodies and equipment and yet you still produced exceptional results. That is what I like about your photography.
Lately, when I go out shooting to SJWS or Bolsa chica and see the same birds over and over again, I feel that I have lost some of my enthusiasm for wildlife photography. I often think, hey I already have a good shot of this particular bird. There is nothing new for me to shoot. Having 3 little kids at home to take care of, limits my ability to travel to find new areas to shoot or subjects to capture. Your work reminds me that there is always room for improvement. Even though I have many nice shots of a particular bird there are always different ways to photograph it better. Whether it is to get a better exposure, capture it in different light, or pose or interesting behavior, there is still a challenge to work towards to making myself a better photographer. When I look at your work, it reminds me of this fact and I thank you.
Anyways I'll wrap up this long winded reply by saying that I consider it an honor to shoot with you and look forward to seeing you out in the field. Hopefully soon ( if I can free up some time away from the kids..hahahah!)
best regards,
- Hung...Show more →
OMG! What a nice comment! Hung, I feel like you opened your heart and soul with this post. Thanks so much for sharing these sentiments and not holding back. That's what it's all about. Do it because you LOVE it. Not because you want to compete with the next guy who just bought a $20,000 gear or showing up on the forum for popularity with meaningless comments.
Unfortunately, I was hated on this forum because I am only in the minority, someone who's not afraid to share his passion for the art of photography. To be honest, I would be very happy if you, or Mr. A, Mr. B, Mr. Z...etc won some kind of international recognition. I would be proud to know that guy. I guess it's so hard for many people to overcome their envy to show their passion for photography (think of when you went out and bought your first camera, why did you do it?).
To quote a paragraph from the Foreword of the book:
"... This book is the product of countless thousands of hours in the field, technical competence, exemplary fieldcraft, a lot of hard work, patience, passion, determination and, of course, a smattering of good luck."
I've been away from the forum for many reasons. One of which was because I felt that I was rejected by some of the members. Now I decided to make this post because I want to show that the "little guy" can do it too. I hope to inspire new and experienced photographers alike to know that the possibility is there, you just need to work hard, and work smart. By saying this, I don't mean to be cocky at all. In the short time that I've been in this field (less than 2 years), I've worked extremely hard, studied from the experience of so many before me, invented ways to improve my techniques, learned to maximize what limited resources I had available. Now I come across your post, even if there's just one person that I can inspire, I think it's already made my effort worthwhile.
Hopefully there will be others coming forward in the days, weeks, and months ahead but it might take some time to change attitudes.
I wish you all the best, Hung. I do hope to see you out there living your dream soon. Virtual handshake, my friend!
Andy
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