p.1 #1 · Sometimes all you can do is smile! :) :) :) :) :)
Congratulations to naturesmoments for winning Feature Thread of the Week with 3 votes - View Previous Winners
Sometimes all you can do is smile!
As wildlife photographers we come to realize that there exists some Universal Axioms for the Nature & Wildlife Photographer (There are more, so please feel free to add to them)...
1 - Nature does not often cater to our photographic wishes
2 - The more you desire a particular photo, the lower your chances are of getting it.
3 - No matter which lens you have on, the one in the camera bag, is the one that is needed.
4 - As a wildlife photographer you will miss more "once in the lifetime shots" then you will actually capture.
5 - The better the photographic opportunity, the more difficult and demanding it is to get to it.
6 - Camera batteries always fail at the most inopportune moment.
7. - Three of the saddest words a wildlife photographer can hear... "You missed it!"
8. - The wildlife photographers mantra, "Please let it happen again, Please let it happen again, Please let it happen again!".
9. - The better the wildlife photographic opportunity, the larger the native mosquito population will be.
10- Once you feel that wonderful sense of elation from getting that once in a life time wildlife photo, you will find that someone has just posted a better version of it on Fred Miranda's Nature & Wildlife Forum!
11 - The more desirable the species the more it costs to find and photograph it!!! (Thanks DonGut
12 - When your camera & most expensive lens is on a tripod, never put your remote control in your pocket and then walk over 5 feet to greet someone unless the remote is wireless. Doh! (Thank you KCollett
13 - The effort of the pursuit often makes the accomplishment even sweeter (Thank you mitesh
14 - When on location wildlife photography, it's always better to pack up all your equipment (such as your $1000 tripod & ballhead) when finished, & place it safely in your vehicle before you drive away. -
15 - Snow depth is inversely proportional to boot height. (Thank you Blitzn
16 - Sometimes all you can do is smile!
As everyone here knows this has been a banner year for snowy owl photography! I have been thrilled and motivated by the snowy owl images posted here on the FM Nature & Wildlife Forum!! There are so many absolutely gorgeous snowy owl shots posted that I became a man on a mission!! !! I have driven in excess of 1500 miles in pursuit of a snowy owl shot, in hopes of getting an image similar to what you guys are constantly posting here on FM. I had become much obsessed with getting a shot of a snowy, I pretty much struck out!!! I did get a shot of a snowy but it is more of an owl landscape than a bird photo. The great news for me, I finally met and spent some time with two of FM's finest, Morris and Glenn Chin. I must say they are two incredible individuals. They went way out of the way to help me try and find a snowy to photograph, we may not have found a snowy that day, but I found two great new friends!!! Thank you Morris and Glenn!!!
I did not do too well photographing the snowys, but I did not do too bad with the Great Grays, so I decided to post a few of them... I sincerely hope you like them!!!!
p.1 #3 · Sometimes all you can do is smile! :) :) :) :) :)
Nice set. The 3rd GGO shot is my favourite as the snow and perch are awesome. The one that you won thread of the week with is also great as always. As per the snowy, at least you got to see the darn thing!! I also spent 2 days with the NYC crew and not a snowy to be found...too late in the season I guess for that beach.
I enjoyed your rules!! All of them applied to my duck shoot yesterday!! My only rule to add is if you want to call it a true "wildlife" shot then bait shouldn't be used. Obviously this is a baited discussion but just wanted to ask if the GGO shots were baited or if that owl had been baited by others before you got there?
p.1 #6 · Sometimes all you can do is smile! :) :) :) :) :)
Shot 2 is an incredible capture, I absolutely love it. You could hope for those conditions an entire lifetime and be hard pressed to duplicate that shot.
p.1 #8 · Sometimes all you can do is smile! :) :) :) :) :)
Great shots and spot on list Nick. It was my pleasure to shoot with you and Morris that day even though we didn't find any snowys. I had a fun time with excellent company and hope to do some wildlife photography in your neck of the woods this year.
p.1 #9 · Sometimes all you can do is smile! :) :) :) :) :)
I just added a few more photographic axioms to the original 6 listed above, hope you enjoy them!!
7. - Three of the saddest words a wildlife photographer can hear... "You missed it!"
8. - The wildlife photographers mantra, "Please let it happen again, Please let it happen again, Please let it happen again!".
9. - The better the wildlife photographic opportunity, the larger the native mosquito population will be.
10- Once you feel that wonderful sense of elation from getting that once in a life time wildlife photo, you will find that someone has just posted a much better version on Fred Miranda's Nature & Wildlife Forum!!!
p.1 #11 · Sometimes all you can do is smile! :) :) :) :) :)
naturesmoments wrote:
I just added a few more photographic axioms to the list above, hope you enjoy them!!
7. - Three of the saddest words a wildlife photographer can be hear... "You missed it!"
8. - The wildlife photographers mantra, "Please let it happen again, Please let it happen again, Please let it happen again!".
9. - The better the wildlife photographic opportunity, the larger the native mosquito population will be.
10- Once you reach that wonderful sense of accomplishment with a particular nature or wildlife photo that you have just taken, you will find that someone has just posted on FM a much better shot of it!!!
p.1 #14 · Sometimes all you can do is smile! :) :) :) :) :)
That #3 is a haunting image and to my mind the best of the lot.
Love your axioms.
My axiom/rule; The more desirable the species the more it costs to find and photograph it!!!
Don
p.1 #15 · Sometimes all you can do is smile! :) :) :) :) :)
Superb set Nick! And some good sayings/truisms too. I get stoked to photograph in (to me) exotic locations. And those visits usually do cost a bundle. And I've lived #10 for sure.
My truism: When your camera and most expensive lens is on a tripod, never put your remote control in your pocket and then walk over 5 feet to greet someone unless the remote is wireless. Doh!!
p.1 #17 · Sometimes all you can do is smile! :) :) :) :) :)
The effort of the pursuit often makes the accomplishment even sweeter, and I'm sure you will get some amazing snowy images that just floor us all, Nick! Thanks for the great humor as well!
p.1 #18 · Sometimes all you can do is smile! :) :) :) :) :)
For the pictures, I really like 3
for this being a banner year for snowys.. really? That opinion may just be a bit east coast centric
for your list, I just love it and got a lot of laughs out it and as far as the title goes, you nailed it. If we can't smile at the difficulties we shouldn't be doing this
And I will add a giant +1 to Mitesh's "The effort of the pursuit often makes the accomplishment even sweeter"
- 
discussion but just wanted to ask if the GGO shots were baited or if that owl had been baited by others before you got there?
