luck, or not

[chauncey]

A question that has been hanging in the back of my mind...we all have our very favorite shot that we've taken.
That one shot...how much luck was involved...right place, right time thing?

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l383/chauncey43/lucky-3.jpg

sky was the result of forest fires, 1000 miles behind me

unfortunately , it was shot in jpeg and the original has long since disappeared into a failed HD

[blackcap]

There's an element of luck since nobody can predict what mother nature will put on for display, but as Younes Bounhar writes in this blog (http://darwinwiggett.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/younes-bounhar/), you can stack the odds in your favor by getting out often, and getting to know your location and conditions.

Of course, capturing the magic light does require skill. Someone with a P&S camera in Auto mode is probably not going to produce a shot of the same quality as someone who knows what they're doing in the same conditions.

[jrader]

Thought I'd add my thoughts about getting "lucky". I personally think luck is 1%, preparation/knowledge is 99%. Say great sunsets/sunrises. If you want the great colors, you need high clouds. High clouds are pushed and pulled by low pressure zones. So watch your news at night, look for the counterclockwise rotating winds (in the northern hemisphere, opposite in the southern hemisphere) moving toward where you live and then you'll know when the high clouds will be in your neighborhood.

I think a good photographer learns to be an amateur meteorologist. Learning the weather means when you'll be getting the light conditions that you want. And, of course, having some other things (like sun rise/set times, moon phases, tide charts, sun compass, etc.) help too.

John

[blackcap]

Thought I'd add my thoughts about getting "lucky". I personally think luck is 1%, preparation/knowledge is 99%. Say great sunsets/sunrises. If you want the great colors, you need high clouds. High clouds are pushed and pulled by low pressure zones. So watch your news at night, look for the counterclockwise rotating winds (in the northern hemisphere, opposite in the southern hemisphere) moving toward where you live and then you'll know when the high clouds will be in your neighborhood.

I think a good photographer learns to be an amateur meteorologist. Learning the weather means when you'll be getting the light conditions that you want. And, of course, having some other things (like sun rise/set times, moon phases, tide charts, sun compass, etc.) help too.

John

What about when you are on a trip somewhere and you basically have to take what you get, weather-wise? In those cases, you are relying on luck to a larger degree than in your local area because you don't have the luxury of waiting weeks/months for that perfect light.

PS Why do you write all your posts in italic?

[jrader]

Well, I tend to watch the news wherever I am. You don't have to watch for weeks/months, just one day at a time. And if it's in another language, no worries. Weather maps are universal! If you're in the field (like I do, camping for few weeks at a time), you just have to take what's given to you. That's just the nature of the beast.

I like italics. It's easier on my eyes. I'm so far to the left I have to slant my text to the right! (Bad political joke, sorry!).

John

[tonydee]

Yup, checking the weather forecast for steady winds in the desired direction lets you know you can light that fire and get where you need to be to capture those clouds... oops... maybe not the right joke for the readership of this forum... :oops: Cheers, Tony