You visited this great website, Take Great Pictures. You clicked on my article. You obviously began to read it as you’re taking in these words. It’s plain to see you’re extremely intelligent, enthusiastic, dedicated and want to learn more about photography or else you wouldn’t be reading this. Good for you. What I’m about to share is one of the most rudimentary concepts when it comes to photography, so why does it so often get lost in the shuffle? 

© Russ Burden

Thankfully I’ve accumulated some images that have brought success. When I show them I often get asked, “How did you get that shot?” Not intending to be sarcastic, I sometimes respond, “Because I was there.” Think about it - if I wasn’t there, I wouldn’t have gotten the photo. I know what the person is implying, but it does come down to needing to be at a given location to capture the magical happening. A parallel question I love to answer is, “What’s the best camera?” My answer is, “The one that’s with you.” It may mean using a cell phone, but face it - if you don’t have a camera, you can’t capture the image and if you’re not there to capture it, you won’t get the photo.

© Russ Burden

Found above is a lot of rhetoric but there is a point to it. In order to get a great shot, you have to spend time in the field. Every photographer reading this is capable of getting photos that make a viewer ask, “How did you get that shot?” The reason why you don’t have the one I have is because I was there and you weren’t standing next to me. Unless you’re willing to invest in the time and effort, it can’t happen. It’s true that rules of composition must be applied and you may see it a bit differently, but you still need to be there.

A number of photographers tell stories about how lucky they were to have been there when something great occured. Rather than attributing it to luck, think about giving credit to the fact you researched when you should be there, you were prepared for the situation, and you knew what to do if something big did unfold. Photographers are told how lucky they were to capture a given image. I pose this question to you - why is it that some photographers are consistently more “lucky” than others? Could it have anything to do with the fact they knew where and when to be at a given spot and they were there?

© Russ Burden

Besides being there, having patience is important so if the “lucky” event unfolds, you waited there to capture it. If your impatience gets to you and you pack it in, even though you were there part of the time, you weren’t there for the finale. With all the above said, I realize it’s not practical to always wait for the big moment and it’s impossible to be everywhere something good occurs, but I want to plant a seed in each of your heads to get out more often and to stay out longer to give yourself the opportunity to capture those photos that make others say, “How did you get that shot?”

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.