Allocating your resources wisely

Success relies on a wise allocation of our resources. And while we all want to do ‘everything’ it is rarely feasible to do so. At least not all at once!

By focusing our efforts we get more practice and we develop our skills more quickly. But as the old saying goes, “you can’t make a purse out of a sow’s ear”. In other words, you can’t turn bad light into good light.  The only way to photograph some of nature’s most compelling moments is to spend a lot of time in the field waiting for the light to be just right.

In landscape photography the more time you spend at a location the higher the probability that you will create a really good photograph. This is why some of the best landscape photographs are produced by photographers who spend a large amount of time in the field. By spending hours outdoors they gain familiarity with the subject and statistically increase the probability of being “in the right place at the right time.”

The probability of bringing back stunning photographs of Zion when driving through are very low. Spend a full day there and the odds are much better. Stay several days and the odds are getting pretty good.  Return several times and the odds of capturing something unique become excellent. There is simply no getting around spending time in the field to encounter those moments of magic.

Alain Briot
March 2012

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