A couple was taking in dozens of my favourite photographs at my show booth, when the gentleman asked, “Did you take all those photos? You must have a great camera!”   

I thanked him for the compliment, but couldn’t resist adding, “That might be like complimenting your wife on the quality of the oven after she puts on an epic five-course meal.”  He considered this for a moment, and smiled. The lights slowly went on.

Great Camera, Good Luck, or Hard Work?

How much does the camera — or even dumb luck — contribute to capturing that epic, tack-sharp wildlife photograph?  The Bohemian Waxwing catching a Mountain Ash berry in mid-air; the Grizzly clamping  its powerful jaws on a salmon in the river; the menacing (and downright angry) Grizzly running, full speed, directly at me (that story needs its own blog post!!); or being out on a birding boat trip only to have a school of dolphins encircle the boat and put on a 10/10 performance. Marvelous images from the natural world — exhilarating moments, caught forever, frozen in time. Is it the quality of my camera gear?    

Well, It Sure Helps (Having Quality Nikon Equipment)

I do have some pretty nifty Nikon equipment — cameras, lenses and specialized accessories that will do almost anything I ask of them. No question: the right gear is essential for producing that lifelike photograph that jumps off the wall. After decades of photography experience, my camera seems like a natural extension of my body. Setting up, framing, shooting — almost a reflex. But it’s still only a tool. All the latest, greatest gear in the world does nothing if I don’t work at it. 

Love What You Do

The secret to putting in that work, with discipline and dedication, is loving every minute of what you’re doing.  I love being outdoors in nature.  I love putting my tracking and photography skills to the challenge. I love seeing, and learning, something new every time I walk out the door.

I don’t need an alarm.  I am happy to be awake and off to work by 5 am.  Sunrise, the “Blue Hour” (when the sun’s blue light dominates the skyline), early morning mist, filtered light — all reasons to have a coffee in a to-go mug.  I’m often snapping pictures and enjoying whatever creatures I come across until well after the lunch hour.  Back to camp for a quick look at the morning’s pictures on the computer, and I’m ready to head out again at dusk.  The twilight offers another great opportunity from a photography perspective, and it’s the time that many animals wake up after the heat of the day and a good snooze. 

When each minute holds potential and promise, every day is practically guaranteed to be a good day.

Know Where to Be, and When to Be There

There’s no substitute for time and experience. The knowledge you gain points you in the right direction, and increases your chances for success. For some of my wildlife photographs, I know exactly where to go, and when.  The black bears, grizzly bears, moose, elk, wolves and migratory birds all have established territories and patterns of migration. 

If you have followed along with my Wildlifer adventures (here’s my Facebook feed if you’d like to catch up), you know that I have a few favourite grizzly bears, black bears, and herds of elk and caribou (the list grows longer every year).  My annual treks to photograph them are more than just taking their pictures.  It’s renewing my connection with the cycle of nature as I encounter new generations of life in the wild.  I feel privileged to share the touching first moments of an elk calf, or the grizzly cub newly emerged from the den under the protective watch of its mother. 

Getting to know these animals, being welcomed into their homes, meeting their new family members — it all makes that relationship stronger year after year. My gratitude for this relationship, and the responsibility I feel to both share and protect their incredible lives, grows and grows. And that makes me a better photographer.

Ingredients for the Perfect Picture

At the end of the day, it is some combination of these elements that appears in every one of my images. Yes, there is a measure of experience and skill, equipment and knowledge, and, sometimes, blind luck. More importantly, I believe, there is love and respect for these magnificent creatures, pure passion for the art of photography, and deep appreciation for the outrageously good fortune that lets me experience all of this.

I know am lucky, and I feel blessed to be able to live the life of a wildlife photographer.  That journey is its own reward. But my greatest reward is when the finished product touches the soul of another person, and is the perfect picture for them. They may never know what went into that image, but I do. If it sparks their imagination and instills the same sense of wonder I felt when I took it, as far as I’m concerned, that’s perfection.