What is the SKILL and TALENT of a Wildlife Photographer
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- A Wildlife Quick Thought on talent and skill.
In the comments, do you agree and what is the real skill and talent that make a photographer great??
Ranks these.
Personality
Skill
Gear
Talent
Referenced in this video
www.cathysheeter.com/
I think all genres have a "formulaic" stage of development (bird on a stick, portrait of animal, flowers in foreground mountain in background) that requires less skill and more following "rules". And some people stop at that stage. But talent is shown when compositions make you pause just to stare at the image. The way they positioned themselves so the light is sculpting the subject more than just illuminating it. The processing that makes you "feel" the image as much as see it. And don't forget luck! Wildlife photography is equal parts determination, skill/talent ,and luck - you've got to be out there to be lucky and you've got to be talented enough to take advantage of the luck.
Well stated my friend !
One thing I've noticed, that some artists say, is how annoying it is to be praised for their talent, while the sheer determination and hard work they put in goes unremarked. I feel inspired to record what I see and hopefully convey how it makes me feel. Developing the skill and patience to succeed at this is hard work. Anyone who says that gear doesn't matter is mistaken. The most important thing for me is persistence, getting good at anything worthwhile takes time. Whether wildlife photography is a fine art or not is debatable, though it's certainly a creative pursuit. Great thought provoking video, thanks.
Persistence ! Yes.
I love the old adages ...." the harder I work the more talented I become ".... and don't forget..."to get to know your subjects !" Great video Scott
So true!
i think of it this way, personality, talent, skill, gear. but the most important thing of all is to be able to see.
Hey Scott, I am coming at this from a different perspective. I'm not a photographer but I have been an artist of wildlife and landscapes for a long time, not professionally though. My work was graphic design and illustration. You won't find any new work of mine online because I have been recovering from chronic Lyme Disease for ten years. That's a long story that I won't bore you with.
I think that the difference between the artist and the photographer is the learning curve. With photography it's much shorter because the technology is so good. But I do think the top photographers are extremely talented, regardless of their subject matter. It takes longer to learn to be an artist but it does not require "God given talent" a phrase that I have never liked. I studied with an artist named Scott Christensen. He is regarded as one of the best landscape painters in the country. His backstory is that he broke his back playing college football. He took up painting during his long recovery. His work is incredible, and it got that way because of shear determination, effort and the desire to be really good. I have seen his very first paintings so I know how much his work has improved. I think the same is true for a photographer, if that photographer is focused on being unique, creative and the best of them. Those with a laser focus to be really good and invest the time required, will be good. But all of this is assuming luck is also on your side. That is the thing that we cannot control. I had the right stuff but bad luck with my health so I am way behind schedule.
I have known many artists with similar stories to Scott, started late and went far. His story keeps me inspired.
I know that is not exactly what you asked for, but this is my opinion from someone who has worked in a creative field all of my life.
Enjoyed this comment and you raise a great point about determination and how an artist can be "created" not "born."
Hello Scott. I totally agree with you about the Personality Trait being most important. I've been at this sort of thing (photography) longer than many, as I started my interests back in the late 50s! Yes, been around the block a time or two. I suppose I could use this venue as a platform to air my biggest peeve with many who call themselves photographers, and that is the 'Spray & Pray' technique. I started and continued to capture images with film cameras, and had to learn to be patient to capture the right moment and not have to depend on capturing an image or two out of a spray of 10 images or more per second. One could not afford to do so today, and the cameras back then were not capable. Still today, I have a Nikon D850 and have never had to hold the shutter down to its full capacity. Learning to have patience before hitting the shutter has been my biggest virtue over the years. I do prefer back-button focus though, which has really given me an edge. Keep up your terrific contributions to the world of photography.
Great comment and greeting down in Texas (as long as you're not a Cowboys fan)
@@WildlifeInspired Not a pro football fan any longer. All about $$$$! Lost interest. Glad you enjoyed my response from this old dude. I like your approach and honesty with your audience. Keep up the great work!
@@WildlifeInspired Not at all Scott. I gave up on all pro sports years ago and only view at amateur level these days. The $$$$ involved and politics completely turned me off with pro sports. Glad you approved mt original comment. Keep these great vids coming!
Somewhat true! To create an award winning shot, you have two option - 1st is luck, present in the right moment and getting that shot, it's all about luck, no talent involve. 2nd is Creativity, even in a normal scenario, if you have that talent, you can create some artistic frame using right camera settings (Maybe some motion with slow shutter), or right camera angle.
I would say skill, gear and talent are the prerequisites for the ability to create an excellent wildlife photograph. If you work long and hard at the various skills, you become more able to create such a photograph. If you have talent, you simply don't have to work as long or as hard to arrive at that stage. Gear are just tools. The more able the tool, the less skill is required to achieve that excellent result, but if enough ability has been developed by the individual, the tool need not be so sophisticated. Given appropriate materials, an excellent sculpture can be created just using an axe. What distinguishes an excellent product from a truly beautiful work of art is the personality of the creator. It's all about how that creator perceives the world - what point of view brings out a hidden feature or forces the viewer of that creation to perceive that reality in an unexpected way, to shift the normal into the extra-normal. Given enough time and effort and physical/mental ability, or highly able tools, excellent photographs can be created by most people. However, those that have a personality that perceives the world within an extra-normal framework will more frequently than the rest of us take the additional step from excellence to artistically beautiful.
Skill,personality,talent, gear
I'm of the mindset, there's no such thing as a bad photograph, only a missed opportunity. Anyone can take an award-winning photo in 2023 given the right place and time. Even with a new iphone 14. To me, it's taking that photo and creating it in post to something that brings out emotion and becomes art. Even if others don't like your photo. The therapy that comes from editing and sitting in nature and the excitement and struggle of the hunt, to the determination and passion and the joy that manifests from quieting myself and forgetting the world for a moment, where it's just me and the landscape or wildlife, and then in return wants to share that joy with others in my opinion makes a great photographer, it's not always the end photo. I never truly understood this whole debate of your image isn't tack sharp, it has too much contrast, it doesn't look real, or not enough bokeh etc...
Learn the rules like a pro, in order to break them like an artist. My order would be similar to yours. Great discussion.
Appreciate the thoughtful comment !
I love your content. Furthermore, I agree with you it does not take a lot of talent to shoot wildlife is more about being in the right place and have lady luck smile at you. I do not think that anyone should take offense on this subject. I personally just love to go out and take wildlife photos sometime they are good sometimes not do great. However, the emotions and feelings I get every time I go out to shoot is what truly count for me. As always great content thanks for sharing such work with us all
Scott, I think you nailed it as for the photographers today. I would have disagreed some years ago when I started shooting wildlife in the days when photographers Shot SLR's and Slide film! But times have changed for the better. Just started shooting with my 1st mirror less camera a Z9 WOW. Most photographers starting in the last 15yrs have no idea what it took to shoot wildlife. Not only with film but before auto-focus. Mark Kraus
Huge agreement on this. I think years ago skill was much more needed. I know a guy that shot migrating raptors with a MANUAL FOCUS long lens. I thought, there's no way! Yet he got sharp images, in focus. I think if we were limited to that today, you would have 1% of the popular bird in flight images that we see today and likely about 90% less people trying it.
Great video. I agree with your ranking (I am action biased) 1: Personality, 2: gear, 3: skill, 4: talent. I tell people (when asked) what it takes to be a good wildlife photographer "You need the 4 P's, Patience (a personality trait), Persistence(a personality trait), Practice(a skill coupled with gear), and Preparedness(a skill coupled with gear)"
Those are solid P's!! patience is so important for this genre
Fair points. Your example of you guiding a novice to taking a great shot is true, but said novice would now be able to go to this exact place, choose this exact position and make great shots of that exact species (plus some knowledge about exposure and technique, of course, but bear with me). In my opinion, the skillset of a great wildlife photographer (that can take years to master) is being able to determine the best course of action for taking advantage of vastly different opportunities. Fieldcraft, learning animal behaviour and knowing how to take advantage of it and then also knowing how to deal with the situation photographically are also skills that need to be learned.
On the other hand, yes, I do think that compared to painting/drawing, in photography it is far more likely to get a lucky shot. With better gear, even more so. But then, how repeatable is it? Archery might be a great comparison. The great archer is the one that knows how to deal with different situations and perform consistently on a high level. The intermediate archer might shoot just as well. This time. But how about next time? Heck, even the beginner can have some lucky shots, but getting consistent results takes time and practice.
I'm a soon-to-be professional illustrator (I'm in my last year of studying scientific illustration) and I think traditional art and photography aren't that different. I'm pretty confident that I could teach almost anyone how to draw a certain subject in a certain technique in quite a short amount of time, staying with them, advicing them on every step. It would take some attempts, but this one end result would look really nice. But are they on my level of skill and talent now? No. Can they get there with practice? Absolutely. Painting and drawing isn't magic either. It's just less likely to get lucky doing it.
Thanks for this nice, thought provoking video!
Cheers
Continue to really enjoy your latest content, Scott! Love that you’re putting out a lot of what I think is on a lot of people’s minds but nobody really talks about. And I could be wrong, but I sense that you have a little of the frustrations that many of us also have…which is a lot of following and recognition for several folks who’s images are really nothing special, but rather, they are in very target rich environments. That might get this comment a lot of thumbs down, but just throwing it out there, lol. My opinion on the ranking is… personality, gear, skill, talent . As you mentioned, the personality is what gets some of the popular folks to put themselves in those target rich environments day after day, so credited is definitely deserved for that.
This is a subject that I have given a good bit of thought, Scott. I have often thought that captures are made in the camera but you have to be out there. You have to have the desire and drive to haul your @$$ out of bed and get out in the field before daylight at every possible opportunity. That is a lot of hard work and dedication but that is how great captures are made. I made my best wildlife shot ever while sitting on my big comfy couch said no one ever. But ART is created in the processing. Film or digital, makes no difference. You have to know what to do with that great capture to turn it into art. I used to love doing studio work but I loved being in the field, too. Now, I'm 80 years old and don't get around physically the way I used to so I sort of combined my studio work and my bird photography. I built a "Hollywood Stage Set" for birds on my back porch. I planted trees years ago to create backgrounds that change with the seasons and I change out the props on the set regularly to keep a fresh look. I still get out to the field some because I love capturing images of the migrating warblers and ducks, but my most artistic shots are being made on my back porch and back yard setups. A lot of my work can be found on FB, but the finest photography wildlife artist I have ever seen is Nick Kalathas. He consistently, day in and day out creates wildlife fine art with his camera. I've never met him but I can pick his work out from any other on FB. Take a look. It's worth the effort.
A thought-provoking topic Scott - thank you. Passion for the subject is a critical component of personality traits, and forethought and fieldcraft to get yourself in position for the shot are a key parts of the skillset. Gear, and skill with gear, can compensate for lack of talent - especially with autofocus and multiple fps now available at lower and lower cost. But a true artist can make great art with the simplest tools and materials because they see and create things that the most skilful technician simply would not envisage (Picasso's bull made out of the seat and handlebars of a bicycle is the ultimate example of this for me). So to answer your question ... persistently outstanding work requires passion for the topic to direct God-given talent to apply fieldcraft and technical competence with the persistence and humility to learn and the ambition to improve.
Well stated
I paused the video to write my rankings,, so I didn't know what yours were. Ends up we ranked these 4 attributes in the same order!
1: Personality Traits
2: Skill
3: Gear
4:Talent
A lot of people, including myself, incorrectly define talent and skill as the same thing, but you explained it well.
Personality is #1 for sure, if you want to be really good at something you must want it and you must love doing it. I was raised playing in the woods and there is no place I would rather be. I did have some natural artistic talent as a kid but nothing spectacular. Skill definitely is above gear. This one photographer I know, was making consistently amazing images only to find out later she was using a Canon T3i with a kit lens. And I knew of another photographer who struggled with sharp images using a flagship camera with a big prime. I am grateful I was forced to use cheaper gear for many years acquiring skill, so then when I finally was able to afford the good stuff, I could take advantage of its ability. For me personally, I only compete with myself to keep improving, especially with composition and light. By the way, I enjoy your content.
Thanks so much, I try to read every comment and reply. If youre like me you kinda pull for the underdog with budget gear that just kicks ass.
Interesting subject and one I’ve given much thought over the years. I grew up in the shadow of my older brother, he is a very talented artist, sculptor, craftsman. At age 8 he was attending art lessons at the Chicago Art Museum. He can pick up a piece of trash and hang it on his wall and it’s art, he sculpted a near life size brown pelican and carved every feather. He just sees things differently. I agree with your ranking for myself, in his case they would all be on a single line. I actually felt honored when he asked if he could do a painting of a Ferruginous Hawk in flight I took recently.
Very cool. It is impressive when you see someone with a gift like that
Great video!
Personality
Gear
Skill
Talent
Thank you so much 🤗
I feel that equipment is number 1. There was an old youtube series where they gave a crappy to a talented photographer who could still take excellent pictures because they had both talent and skill. Try giving a crappy camera or the wrong type of camera and you are not going to get a picture of an eagle in flight or diving into the water. 2, personality traits that would include things like being able to wait long periods of time and deal with the environment. I also feel that being able to learn how a bird or other animal thinks or react is a trait.
better gear does matter (even more for action IMO)
I get a lot of compliments from friends and family, "oh my gosh, you are so talented". I always say thanks, but don't really feel like I fully deserve it. I think I spent $10k+ on gear that does the hard part for me :-) ( Canon R5 with a 500mm f4) I agree that personality is the biggest factor, anyone could do it and get similar results if they choose to. I seem to have more desire to go out in the cold and sit for hours waiting for thee moment to come along, not just once but every opportunity I get. There is a lot of truth to the cliché saying "right place, right time". The more often you get out the more likely you will be in the right place in the right time, leading back to personality.
I feel like skill goes above gear especially for action wildlife. A highly skilled photographer is going to get better results more reliably with almost any gear than a non skilled photographer will with even the best gear. One example is the first time I saw a bobcat it jumped into a lake after some asshole ducks near the shore. It could have been an amazing shot! But I was soo excited and flustered I simply locked up. In that moment I didn't even know what a shutter button is much less how to get a decent composition or what shutter speed to use. The moment passed and I managed to gather myself just in time to get a blurry photo of bobcat tail walking back into the reeds with $10k+ worth of gear. A more skilled photographer could have nailed that amazing moment with almost any gear.
I can relate to your bobcat experience. Lol. I think we have all done that
Dude, you’re spot on. 😊👍
Glad you think so!
Another good, thought provoking video. I have never considered myself particularly talented but I do do the three Ps well - patience, perserverence and planning ( locations, what to see when etc ). Regarding gear - i think you could give a skilful, experienced photographer a cheap camera and they'll still capture great images.
As for studio v wildlife photography- for me a key skill in wildlife photography in the field is being quick and able enough to spot and capture a memorable image when you may only have a second or two to capture it.
I have always thought of painting / drawing on a different level to photography in terms of skill and talent.
Personality- talent-skill-gear ......thank you for the information, Scott!!.👍🏼
Thanks for watching!
APPLIES TO ALL FORMS OF WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY (ACTION, PORTRAIT, ENVIRONMENTAL, ...)
1) Skill ranks at the top for any kind of wildlife photography. Finding animals, not spooking the animal, putting yourself in the right position for a beautiful/artistic composition, etc. These things are what will ultimately make the difference between two images of the same subject and with lower tier gear. These are things that can be learned, honed, and practiced and REALLY make the difference.
2) Personality creates more opportunities to exhibit the above. The most skilled wildlife photographer will simply not take inspiring images while sitting on the couch. The less time spent on the couch, or back at camp, or moving around and spooking animals, etc., the less likely it will be to capture great images. Like you said, Scott, it takes DETERMINATION (pushing yourself to get out there), PATIENCE (creating the setting that allows animals to feel safe and letting the animal come to you), and PERSISTANCE (rinse and repeat day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year).
3) Gear enables the photographer to not work as hard. This will augment any personality traits that are present and allows photographer to capture images that are physically impossible with less expensive/sophisticated gear (I include software as part of gear).
4) Talent will only shorten the learning curve. For those who are dedicated can overcome who is talented and not dedicated.
My order is: Personality, gear, skill, then talent!
Personality- sitting and watching mountain bluebirds building a nest for 2 hours 😊 and loving every minute!! Gear definitely matters with wildlife, especially small critters! You have to love being outside!! You have to be obsessed with the animals😊
I would think the real, or most important talent and skill of a wildlife photographer is the ability to understand your subject well enough to not only hunt it down, but to lay in wait, undetected, silent and be able to react in a split second and out maneuver it, while remaining perfectly calm. That is the skill at least, maybe talent in some, but definitely the skill that impresses me most about the guys who get the shots I want to get.
I could also tack on, tongue in cheek, being able to withstand gross water, being eaten and sucked on, stung, scratched, cut, bruised etc, could be a natural talent lol
im laughing because my last adventure had me in cold muddy water soaked through to the groinal regions.... so I get that last part.
I 100% agree with you. Great topic. I was an art major and my entire life I never included photography as a true art form. I figured it took no talent - anyone could slop out and get a fantastic shot. I always did oil painting. As I got older I couldn't do it as well anymore. So I picked up photography. I have learned so much about photography - but to me the skill comes in Photoshop. Editing a photo in your own vision to make it a piece of art. I always think there are two types of photographers - ones that are sticklers on showing a photo in true form. And another taking an image and creating something. To me - as with anything - you have talent if you are producing great image after great image.
Thanks Peter, enjoy seeing you here
You've become literally my fav channel for birds and wildlife content! This and the "comparison trap" vlogs are one of the best phylosophical monologues ever, like, one can take theme even with no context to photography but everything. You nailed every aspect of the topic and I simply resonate behind every word! Thank you man, greetings from Bulgaria! I found you few months ago on the topic of gimbals and heads ^_^
Wow, thanks! blown away by this comment
I would agree with the action photography in this sense. Maybe you can teach someone to set up the camera and press the shutter button, and maybe even track in a couple days. But, it takes years and lots of experience to know the subjects, and know where to be to optimize your chances of finding and capturing the subject in the right light. Of course, with all photography there is some luck when it comes to opportunity but, for action, the skill and talent is in the preparation as much or more than with the camera.
Agree. I think I am thinking of those popular hot spots that are often pretty easy to shoot and don't require the same field work
I totally get this. I've been photographing for more than 30 years and I consider myself fairly proficient with the capture and editing process. My wife took up watercolour painting fairly recently and she sometimes uses my bird photos as reference images for her work. She has talent. Even though she's relatively new to this, she is already making art that I'd happily have on our wall. She's developing her skills and will continue to do so for years to come I hope. On the other hand - I have a lot of technical knowledge and a somewhat refined "photographer's eye" for light, colour, composition, subject and background which I've developed over decades. But these skills aren't the same as talent - I've worked hard, put in thousands of hours and learned to live with my successes and failures. If I put the same amount of time and effort into learning watercolour painting, I still wouldn't be as good as my wife is now because she has a talent for it. I think the bottom line is that pretty much anybody can become pretty good at wildlife photography if they put in the time and effort. The same can't be said of painting. At least - not for me 🙂 Looked at a different way, that's a good thing though. At least with wildlife photography, I know that time and effort pays off. I could do watercolour painting for the next 30 years and still be less than mediocre at it.
Love the shared experience. Thanks !
and if you took up painting you never know, you might surprise yourself as to how good you might become!
@@big37dog Thanks Fred - you're right, I haven't tried it so I don't know if I could develop some skills. I'm pretty sure that I would struggle though. And I certainly wouldn't be able to do what my wife can do in the first few months of painting 🙂
I agree to a point anyone can get a 1 good shot but to get a large portfolio of alot of great shot it's called work and talent and more importantly a good eye and years of experience eric hansen
but could anyone sit down in a concert hall and play an award image piano performance after a day practicing? never. I don't argue that skill plays a role, I just think in some genres, there isn't as much skill as we think and compared to incredible artists, I think personality traits weigh heavier than talent or skill for a lot of what we do.
I wish that I could yell and scream and storm out of here for dramatic effect but you're spot on. LOL! I taught photo for 11 years at the local community college and talent is the very last trait for success. As a matter of fact sometimes talent is detrimental to success because of the misconception that talent is all that is needed. Diligence and determination are the key. I recommend a book here called "Art & Fear" by David Bayles & Ted Orland which talks about such things.
If only I had time to read lol maybe cliff notes (do they still make those?)
Talent, personality, skill and then gear, in my opinion. Interesting mental exercise. But there's not doubt, these days, that technological improvements have pushed into the domain of talent but you still need the determination or need to be out in the field at dawn or in bad weather and the persistence to push yourself and whatever gear you have to produce the best images you can.
isnt persistence the thing that drives you (personality) not talent?
@@WildlifeInspired Good question. Talent without drive probably will decide to sleep in. Talent with drive probably becomes one of those great photographers of which you spoke. Persistence combined with the unskakable belief that sheer determination can turn the law of averages in your favor from time to time is probably me:) Plus, I need the exercise of those photo sojourns.
I think the skill part of wildlife photography is more on knowing where and how to find wildlife and how to get close to your subject. How many times does someone show you their bird photo that looks like a little dot in the sky. Knowing how to setup a blind how to get close is a skill. The talent part is knowing what and when to shoot. A photo of a duck floating on a lake is nice but that same bird coming in for a landing or taking off with a spray of water is far better.
There is lots of skill in the approach very true
I think this is such a fun topic do discuss, this is why I think wildlife photography is the most difficult kind of photography. And I would love to hear your thoughts on it! First I think you make it sound so easy to photograph some kind of animal, like you say you can take someone and photograph short-ear owls a few hours away from you and they will get award-winnings photos in a couple of days. I dont think that is how you teach someone how to photograph wildlife, I could give someone my gear and tell them to photograph a hawk, (I can explain the settings for them so they can capture some action). But I dont think they would capture a great photo in at least 6 months, because they need to locate where to find it, when is the best lightning, maybe it doesn't show up every time they are there, its to far 9/10 times. For example, I tried to photograph a fellow deer that had come to the area I live, it took me two years to take a good photograph of it because I couldn't get close or I just couldn't locate it. So this is just a few example why I think it's harder with wildlife photography. You can't control ANYTHING, except for your gear. Now take a studio, and like you said that is a lot of thing to learn, may take many years to get really good at that ( I dont know because I haven't tried) But it is something you can control, it doesn't depend on time of day, light, or weather, you as a photographer control the whole scene. And yes, I know that takes a lot of skill to do, BUT it's something you can learn. So yeah, thats my thought of wildlife photography and why I think it's the hardest of photography you could do. This is just a short answer, I could probably discuss this for hours! Let me know what you think!
Best regards from Sweden! // Jimmie
I think you missed one key point. I said for action. I could take someone to the right place..... there are hotspots all over that you need little knowledge of species or behavior. The distinction here is action photos at hotspots can create amazing images and don't take a lot of skill (gear matters more). But if you take "wild" life, I agree. It may be the most difficult form of photography because you have the least amount of control on your subjects. So I think I agree with you BUT I still argue that it is possible to take a great picture as a novice photographer if you are using great gear and are set up at a popular hot spot. Maybe I'll do a follow video yo clarify.
@@WildlifeInspired Yeah that I agree with, you can put someone there with great equipment and they will get a great photo, its like you said, they can almost only point and shoot with 20fps and succeed. But even if they got an amazing photo, I don't think that would turn them into a wildlife photographer. The hard part is to find new places, new animals and do it consistently. I think when you are nailing that, you are a wildlife photographer, and that takes time. It's nothing you become over night or a few sessions at "hot spots".
Amen.... people after 6 months are like are questioning why their stuff doesnt look like others. TIME! We live in an immediate satisfaction era, and play in a genre that doesnt work like that.
My rankings from the most important to least important for a wildlife photographer-
1. Personality traits
I agree that love for being in nature is a vital trait. I think it triggers more time spent seeing opportunities and experimenting on how to captureI and share them. I also agree with you that its beneficial for a wildlife photographer to have patience. Often my best photos come from just a few seconds of the hours I spend in the field.
2. Talent
Being able to see is a god given talent. And having natural (peaceful) hunter instincts benefits the wildlife photographer.
3. Opportunity.
You mentioned this in the video, but it's not in your list so I added it. The more wildlife and scenery available to the photograph, the more opportunity for great captures as well as more practice and improvement.
4. Skill
Photography is a craft. It takes practice and experimentation to learn the craft and apply it. Wildlife photographers that can envision, hunt and make tradeoffs can offset the lack of having the best gear.
5. Gear
I don't like to put it last in the order of importance. It provide enormous benefits. The skillful photographer with better gear can capture better photographs. However, without skill using the gear, the the quality of the resulting photographs are largely dependent on randomness (luck).
Excellent video, Scott!
i´d go with that ranking, too.
Great video, it makes one think more deeply about all the things that contribute to a final masterpiece, as you have mentioned. I think you need a bit of them all to be successful, and the importance of each one might vary from time to time and situation. How I wish for a new mirrorless camera and a 600mm, f4 lens, oh that's wishful thinking, ha ha.
(1) Gear, (2) Skill, (3) Talent, and (4) Personality. I say this because, without the right gear for your specific photography, you will not be able to accomplish much. The second part, skill, comes about with knowing your gear and developing that muscle memory. The third part I think is talent because this will shine forth as you develop good editing skills and developing your own genre/look/style in your photography. The last is a normal progression of the third, your personality contributes to the finished product, a beautiful image worthy of printing or sharing. and your personality drives you to go out more, see more of what you are photographing and loving, and duplicating certain styles suitable to your tastes.
Thanks for a thought-provoking video. The stories behind 2022 Audubon photography awards support your criteria: many examples of determination and patience (Jack Zhi, Liron Gertsman), skill at recognizing and capturing a moment (Peter Shen, Ankur Khurana), great gear (R5, D850, A1/A9; L and GM glass), and artistic eye (Steve Jessmore, Alan Krakauer, Christy Frank, Benjamin Olson). And some talents show up repeatedly (Liron Gertsman, Hector Codero, Marie Read). 😊
For the record Liron is a beast. Love his work;
Hi, nice video and nice topic, I arrive late on this one but I thought I might comment any way :)
It's funny because I had this exact same discussion with someone I know that I find very talented in painting. There is a major bias in this analysis: the subjectivity of knowing too much of your art, you are underestimating the difficulty of skills that you've already mastered. I'm an amateur wildlife photographer, and as you I though that it does not take a lot to be able to make a good photo, and exactly like you said "with the right equipment, the right settings, the moment etc." anyone can take it. You've said it all. All these things you are listing (and much more), you need to master them, you need to know about your subject, light, behaviour, camera settings. Of course, if someone is doing all the hard work for you, you can take a nice shoot, but it would be the same if someone is drawing 95% of the image and that I just have to add some stuff at the end. I think that I can fairly say that taking a bird in flight shoot with a 600mm f4 is not something that you can master in 1 or 2 days, even with a tripod :P
I think you are maybe underestimating the time put in learning photography. To keep the same example, don't forget that, there is a big difference between drawing and photographing: in wildlife photography, despite all your effort and talent, you are not the master of the elements nor the subject, whereas when you draw, everything is in your hands.
Thanks again for sharing thoughts and for the time spent making these videos !
David
For years I have made ok wildlife images with a 70-200 f2.8, since changing my gear to the 600 f4 now some of my images hang on other peoples walls. That one piece of expensive gear has improved my skill set tremendously. My personality traits mean I can just wait
Talent for me is like a starting point on your journey. Skill however, is a continuum. Gear is important and closely linked to your genre. Macro, wildlife, astro all need special gear most of the time. Personality is your style.
I’m one of the biggest eagle lovers you’ll ever meet. I have 1000’s of eagle photos and still don’t get bored of eagles 😂 I go to the conowingo dam in Maryland since I live on the east coast. I thought all those eagle photos were good. And I feel like I have the passion for wildlife. I love this channel because wildlife photographers are my kinda people 😂😂
I think for Wild Life it is more important to have knowledge and passion, than a natural talent or skill. Knowledge: use of gear, of subjects and habitats. Passion: the willingness to do what it takes to capture the images. You can have all the talent and skill, but if your not willing to lay on the frozen wet ground for hours on end or other variables to "hopefully" get one shot of something even knowing you might not, all your talent and skill will get you nothing.
Great video, I have to first thank God for all the talent He has blessed me with and the ability to gain skills through wisdom and knowledge, better gear helps, but most all of my best photos were taken when He put me in the right place at the right time! I am not an artist, I cant envision artistic things, but I know how to use a camera! Thank you so much for making such awesome content!
Very true. You speak my mind sir. I did multiple types of photography in my life. I completely agree with you.
Going back to your eagle photo, what made the base image into a great photo? It appears to have been processing skill. So, I agree with your rankings in order to get the shots but to create the final image from the raw file the rankings could be reversed
having the patience to go and make a photo and fail each time and Come back for the perfect photo is also talent. most People don't do that. there is a lot of skill in knowing the camera and make sure every setting is oke.
yes is has become a lot easier. however other skills like patience animal behavior etc etc is part of the skill set you need.
going outside late in the evening in nortern Europe in summer is gets dark after 22.00 is something you need to do. All as part of the skill set
I agree with you. Just started wild life . I have to spend more time in the field to get the skills day after day week after week and so on build on the skill. I think you have to know your subject also.
I have to agree with you but it hurts my ego to do so. If you take an average photographer, give him great gear and take them to a wildlife hotspot, they will get great pictures. Add a paid guide to the mix to show them what angles to shoot, you might even get an award winning photograph.
I think the talent of most wildlife photographers are the ability to position themselves whit the sun in their back, learning how the animal moves and stuff like that. And editing is a skill on its own. 😅
Good topic... shouldn't really be that offensive. I think talent is intermixed a little with skill and personality.. but not a ton.
1. Skill
2. Personality
3. Talent
4. Gear
I've seen amazing photos with entry level Gear..
Love your thought provoking videos. I would agree with your rankings. I have only been doing wildlife the last few years. Even though I have gotten much better, the thing holding me back from being better is the lack of time, patience, and drive to get the right photo. I don’t spend enough time in the field. Gear has helped me improve due to frame rate and auto focus with the new mirrorless camera. I have also improved my skill set with post processing and learning more about wildlife. I could be much better if I was in the field with more chances catching those action/ behavior shots.
Thanks George, trying to do one "quick thoughts video" a month along with the other content.
I think the key thing to be a pro wild life photographer is to be able to create those conditions that a beginner would get just by chance. You get to choose what conditions to be n for the type of photo you want to get when you want to get it with much more than just once in year opportunity, and for that, one need to start with less than professional equipment that does all the job for you, just to familiarize yourself with combining the technical and artistic aspects.
Agree. The talent of wildlife to me is consistently producing great images. As you say anyone can get lucky once, BUT in some areas you could never get lucky and perform an award winning piano performance by LUCK, in wildlife you can get lucky a few times and get great images by chance.
@@WildlifeInspired I am in about to buy a second hand lens to start doing that more seriously (wildlife photography) and I have a hard time choosing in between either an old Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 VR 1 and rather new Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 VR. Would really appreciate if you could tell me which one would be a good idea, and what test should I perform briefly before buying as well as which element would likely be deficient on them and to watch out for before buying
Thanks for diving into this topic!
Of the wildlife photographers I personally know who are highly successful in their pursuits, it’s absolutely their personality that brings about that success. They are patient, dedicated, and tenacious, returning day after day, year after year to locations to study their subjects and hopefully capture what they envision.
On a personal note, I’m no pro, but I do know it’s my drive (obsession) that keeps me outdoors in any of my spare minutes, honing the skills I have. As for gear? I’ve had decent glass, but only recently upgraded to a camera that can track subjects. As for talent? I don’t give it much weight. It’s time spent dedicated to learning and refining my skills that will eventually make my time invested deliver the images I hope to capture. All that to say, I find myself agreeing with the order you ranked things-personality, skill, gear, taken.
Thanks Jak aka H
Personality, skill, talent, gear, and a big factor luck!
Personality, Gear, Talent, Skill. As a wildlife photographer my interest is primarily in birds. Unfortunately, I have one issue that I think will always limit my results. That limitation is that I have substandard vision. By your definition of talent, I consider great vision to be a talent which I lack. I think that vision is particularly important for a bird photographer. I try to compensate for that by sharpening my knowledge of bird vocalization and behavior.
Well said!
I hit the like button AND I'm leaving a comment. Call me a rebel. Anyhow, I think most of what you said is true when it comes to a 'good' image. There are lots of those. There are far fewer great images; images you'll remember through the passage of time. And those images don't come easily. Sure all the things you listed matter. But it's sort of like saying everyone can paint if they put their mind to it (admittedly paint brushes probably haven't changed much over time). Could I paint a landscape? Sure. Could I paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? Well, yes BUT it'd be awful. That's good vs great. I'm also not so sure one can create a static list of attributions and claim X is more important than Y. That'll depend on circumstance. In any case, it's a good conversation and how boring it would be if we all agreed all the time. No reason to unfollow just because of different opinions.
I love dissenting opinions! They are always welcomed when supported with logic and perspective. Thanks for being classy.
I think
Gear
Skills
Personal traits
Talent
My opinion
I've always asked myself this question for several decades (I'm 58 years old) and I too have given myself the same answers.
For a nature action photographer, the first thing is to have the patience, perseverance, determination and also the luck of being in the right place at the right time.
Of course, all of this would only make you an excellent birdwatcher if you don't have a camera and a lens up to the task of shooting quickly and sharply, managing contrasts well.
Of course it takes skill and experience to use the equipment correctly. Sometimes you have to be really quick to dial in the right tempo or vary the aperture/shutter pair to match the action, but it's a skill that doesn't require any particular talent, just a lot of practice.
Of course, a good nature photographer must know the habits of the fauna and know how to manage/predict the direction of the light. But even these are things that can be learned.
True talent and true craftsmanship generally require skills and abilities that are acquired only with many years of study and practice and generally need very poor hardware.
A painter/designer draws with anything on anything, a drummer plays a rousing rhythm even on a table and so on.
So yes, I am perfectly in tune with your thinking.
Thanks Daniele, appreciate taking time to comment
Great video, Scott. Absolutely agree with personality being #1, and skill comes with time in the field (or studio) - which personality will help with if you are willing to put that time and energy into it, even when it’s a struggle (for any number of reasons).
Gear matters, when you know how you’ll take advantage of features and it won’t make you broke.
Talent is the under current, that can bring all the above together to create images that are set apart, but it can’t sustain alone.
And luck. It’s handy 😄
Thanks white bread.
Personality, talent, gear, skill.. Personality is the big one as it will bring opportunities. Unfortunately, bad personality can also bring results faster ; baiting animals, disturbing animals, trespassing..
I will have to do a video on this at some point. it has been on my mind, just want to be careful with the approach.
Personality, skill, gear, talent. I know and have seen "Luck" play out in wildlife photography often. However, our skill as outdoorsmen, researchers, etc. And the personality to do such, i.e. patience, stubbornness, willingness to put in time, often provide that opportunity of "luck." Sorry for the run on sentence. Great video and great topic!
Well said!
Agreed. I love the woods and outdoors (I live in Alaska). I'm saving up for some new gear. The rest comes with time :)
Happy shooting!
Thanks Jonathan!
I agree on the idea that capturing an action is about the opportunity but what makes a photo standout is the photographer's creativity in framing the shot (kind of anticipating the frame in advance) and talent/skill to capture the moment from a unique perspective. That's from my experience is what differentiates a documentary shot from art.
1. Personality traits
2. Skill
3. Talent
4. Gear
I know it's older video, but I just found Your chanel and I'm amazed You are first wildlife photographer who is saying that gear is so important. When I upgraded from D5300 to D500 I realized that my photos were much better. Instantly. Especially action and BIF. But where skill and talent prevails are imho small in the frame and habitat photos.
I find gear matters more with movement and action, skill is shown in the portraits IMO
Agree with you, especially with comments on gear. Is there much talent or skill needed now to capture action shots with birds or other moving objects. Does the new gear take away the challenge? I don’t have one of the newer cameras that track eyes and it’s still a challenge for me to get sharp wildlife action and sports action shots.
thanks for watching Becky action has benefitted the most from the improvements in tech.
Basically you could get really lucky and capture the photo of a lifetime, with appropriate gear and minimum skill, as a wildlife photographer. You can't "accidentally" shoot an award winning portrait in a studio.
But skill and talent in wildlife photography comes in with getting great shots consistently, not just lucking out.
Agree, you can. and also agree with more "technical" forms of photography done in studio.
I rank personality tops too for the reasons you give. I would rank skill ahead of gear though. If you haven't taken the time to learn, (i.e. develop your skill set), how are you going to be consistently good, or even consistently mediocre. You're not. Lucky sometimes, which isn't a bad thing, but that's a whole other discussion. Gear is next. The new focus tracking systems do make it easier for a person of less skill to capture great images. But knowing what focus mode to choose would increase their chances. Again, skill before gear. So yeah, talent is last. I honestly can't think of an innate talent that would be beneficial to a wildlife photographer.
I think you do need a minimum skill set to be a good wildlife photographer. I'm not talking about gear. I'm talking about learned knowledge of the habits and habitat of your quarry. With that at least you can be in the right location at the right time of year to maybe bag your game. Yes, I made a hunting analogy. I think wildlife photographers and hunters share a lot of the same characteristic. The main difference being they throw lead, and we catch light.
Is action photography more about the moment or the skill? This question makes me think of Henri Cartier-Bessons' statement about capturing the decisive moment. I know, he was talking about street photography and using a film camera that had to be manually advanced, but the essence of what he meant applies to todays fast frame rate cameras too. Knowledge of your subjects' habits, how they behave before they start an activity, are integral to sensing when the action is about to happen. That's a way better technique than just hoping something will happen and sprayin' and prayin' when it does. Action photography is about catching that moment in time that is unique and exciting. Having the knowledge/skills to anticipate the action before it happens is key to capturing that type of image consistently.
What skills are required to be great? Knowledge of your intended subject is the most important skill you can learn. Both general knowledge of a species and intimate knowledge of a individuals daily routine. Knowing how the light works through the day and across the seasons at a specific location. You can be the most technically proficient camera owner out there, but if you don't know where to go and when and what is likely to happen, what good does it do you?
Read every word. Agree so much about behavior. I study (birds) a lot and I can now predict behavior often just based on species. One warbler like this. The other likes that. The hummingbird is here now. Where will he go next. Yes. There is skill that comes with being patient enough to watch and learn. Great comment. Hope to see more in the future
I agree with your ranking of the 4 traits....... mine as well prior to you listing. Good presentation. If you do not have a love and overwhelming drive to be outside, in the woods or by a stream to monitor and enjoy wildlife, you will never get those "different" photos. Personality is reflected in the photo I think........ along with some luck. :)
Absolutely!
I agree with your ranking, with personality traits being most important. I believe one of those traits which can make the difference is passion for the subject. By that I mean passion for wildlife in general as well as passion for the particular subject. The key difference between good and great wildlife photography is knowledge of the subject. Only through informed observation of the subject , as well study of reference books and the work of others, can the photographer gain the knowledge that will allow him to anticipate the behaviour of the subject and thus capture that "magic" moment. I have been 'lucky' to take a few 'very good' wildlife photos. But, on reflection, the 'luck' was being there when the light was right in the right position with the right settings on my camera and picking the right time to press the shutter. All of which were not luck at all. Thank you for this though provoking video.
Thanks for stopping by!
I agree personality...the love of the bush, determination to capture that right photo, prepared to sit and wait I think is a big key. I can sit for hours but my girlfriends who go out with me get itchie feet. Skill..in wildlife learning the songs and behaviour of birds and animals takes time, leaning your camera so the operation of your gear comes naturally is important but when I photograph 4WD off road competitions it's my experience of 4 wheel driving that helps me predict where that vehicle could end up, where I need to stand for safety or when it's going to get air under the tyres for that magic shot. When I first started sharing my photos 15 yrs ago my husband would critique them first, I'd usually end up with maybe 3 photos usable. Frustrated but loving photography I set out to improve myself, now I critique and edit my own photos and I win competitions.
Awesome. And interesting how experience helps predict things just like wildlife
I find that the term "talent" is often just how unskilled people view skilled people. Hard work is how you get good at things, saying it was talent sells the artist short. The way you defined talent I can agree with, I'm just saying that is not how most other people define it. Once you have worked for years at mastering something, you realize how little you knew before, and even how little you know now! And most of all you realize that the lamen knows absolutely nothing about the subject at hand, and they just apply terms like talent or luck to make themselves feel better about not having the skills.
its a good conversation, but you see some people born with a gift, and not that is not to short change their work, but some people born faster, have perfect pitch, incredible dexterity, can calculate numbers faster. We have to agree that genetically our brains are wired to be better at some things and in some people these innate abilities are exaggerated. I am a huge believer in hard work for the record!
I think Your order is correct - personality, skill, gear and talent. Probably the biggest lie everyone of us heard, and some probably still believe, is “gear doesn’t matter”. For the talent part of things - I would risk a statement that “talent is overrated”. Might be helpful, but I think that many people who think they are very talented, just waste it. Watching different sports for years now and it is sort of obvious. I saw world champions that got the title just because they put enormous amount of work to get there. And those even on they own said that they aren’t really talented. And saw even more very talented ones that actually never won anything because lack of that work needed to develop skill.
Agree !
My question is - where is the market to sell these shots? It’s not like there’s 20 different print publications paying for wildlife shots. I think wildlife photography is like getting getting a genders study degree. Your only job prospect is teaching people how to become wildlife photographers. I guess the top guys make a living at selling photos - vast majority seem to make money doing UA-cam and taking people on photo tours.
The crux of this video wasn't about making money, so not sure what to do with this comment? If you have thoughts on the topic, feel free to share. I will do a video on making money soon. Also understand MOST people do it for the love and joy or as a hobby. A million people a year play golf, some competitively, doesn't mean they all try to make money at it.
I think tenacity is more important than talent and skill when it comes to wildlife photography. Doug Gardner (wildlife photographer and cinematographer) once spent 14hrs a day for 42 straight days sitting in a small blind in a Louisiana swamp to document a mother bear bringing her 2 cubs out of a hollowed out tree and swim them to dry land.
Thats next level and agree often TIME is they key and since we cant make time, we have to invest it. It's not easy to do.
Great video, makes so much sense and agree with everything, your 4 factors hit the spot!! Give me the same gear as a pro and I’ll get just as good a photo!! Half these so called professional photographers are snobs and think they’re above us all!! The big difference is they get the opportunities!!!
Opportunities for sure. I don't want to discount the work that some of them put in though. For many people the opportunities are accelerated by hard work, research and study of behavior. For others it might be just paying a guide to find you good stuff.
Ahh there's so much to go at here, but the bottom line for me is that I agree *almost* entirely. I have argued in the past that there is intrinsic value in artistic labour - which an artist friend condensed into "suffering for your art" - which can be confered on an artist's work as artistic effort, typically to add coin. Is Morten Hilmer a better artist because he chooses extreme environments, because he gets up early, or just because he knows his subject so very well? Does that speak to his artistry? I would argue that it speaks to his craft. I separate the art and the craft in photography in the hope that it's functional for the discussion.
My artist friend argues that photography is art, de facto. I argue that, de facto, it is not. I accept that an artist might use the medium of photography to express themselves, but the craft of photography is by default a documentary rather than creative medium. I'm coming to terms with the notion that photography is a storytelling medium. The photographer can even tell someone else's story, but there can definitely be artistic value in a really good story which is well told. We often hear it said that a landscape photographer *captured the moment* in their still image, distinct from capturing the scene or the view, and I argue that this is implicitly because the best photographic expression is truly about storytelling.
This translates to wildlife and landscape photography, and other genres of photography. None of these genres is distinct on the grounds of artistry, though. The photography genres refer by nature to the subject being documented, not the style of artistry being employed. Therein, the clue, that photography is not de facto art, but that art may be done through photography.
Very interesting comment! Enjoy this distinction about art and storytelling.
Interesting perspectives but I can barely hear you well enough to make out half of what you're saying. Need to boost the audio levels significantly.
interesting.... these volumes are tuned to about -5db (ideal is -1/2 as many try to be super loud on YT) This should not be soft at all. Maybe you turned down the volume on the UA-cam slider?
I would like think that skill and talent do have major roles, but I can’t ague with the logic of your order. Patience , awareness and reflexes are most important traits . I struggle with prioritizing skill and gear though, because a person can be held back or thrust forward depending on the gear and/or the skill needed to use the gear you have.
Thanks Alex. I'm definitely not saying that skill and talent (or patience) aren't critical. I think my point is that with ACTION photography sometimes the subject and behavior can outweigh skill and talent.
WoW it takes courage to produce a video where you put yourself at risk with the way a lot people behind a screen and a keyboard can go pretty quick on the nasty side! Hats off to you! Personality and skills are for me as well the top 2 and gear and talent follows! I am one of those person that always want honest opinion even if my ego gets a little bruise along the way! For me this is the only way to grow! Keep those touchy subjects videos coming! 👌👏
I appreciate that!
Your diminishing the most important part of wildlife photography. Investing the time and being prepared when opportunity comes.
You need to watch more of my content... I say ALL the time the biggest attribute of a wildlife photographer is patience and time. I talk about studying behavior. This video was a look at ONE dimension and questions talent/skill as we traditionally view it and how it doesn't always apply. The examples were clearly around action. How much talent does it take to pay someone to sit in a blind and click a button when the subject is right in front of you? Yet you can (and I see) award winning images captured that way. Again just one aspect. I 100% agree with you that time and preparation are fundamental to "true" wildlife photographers.
I would say when it comes to skill for wildlife photography the skills are less about the photography but more about understanding your subject. Line you mentioned with action wildlife photos is fairy easy to put a person in the situation to create good or great photos that's not where the skill is tho. The skill is knowing where to find the animals knowing how to be around the animals in a safe manor and not scaring the animal where you show respect to the animal. You also need the skills for hiking and orienteering to be able to navigate the wilderness being able to go out and find the animals where you can create the beautiful action photos. Alongside gear I would include things like travel cost and being able to organize expeditions where you are going to places that are much more seldomly seen where you have the ability to create photos that are more unique because far fewer people have been able to experience that wildlife. When problem solving is also very key importance because when you are in the middle of no where and someone breaks our stops working you don't just give up you find a way to preserve and adapt to the conditions to keep producing photos even when things don't go perfectly. All these non photography skills are where you need to build the skills to be a great wildlife photographer.
I agree. I think the action comment was based on going to a "hotspot" where there is little skill involved in finding the animals because the areas are well known. There is definitely a different skill for true wildlife photography done in the "wild"
Totally agree with you on this.
So, give each of 1000 moneys a camera and enough time, they can eventually produce an award winning photo
Didnt say they CAN, said they COULD. Big difference. However, given any amount of time, you could sit me at the worlds greatest piano and I could play forever and I would NEVER win an award because I lack the talent and skill to do so.
I identify with being a "practicing photographer". Like other people are practicing medicine or law, this is a practice. Patience is a requirement. You have to be willing to wait long enough for the bird to fly, or get into the right background, or even arrive. Have a willingness to learn about your subject to improve your photography. Skill with your gear, both hardware and software, environment and the animals is key. Gear is hardware as well as the software that you have invested in. Both of these are equally important in the digital age. Talent may be best thought of as imaginatioin to take your photo to the next level of interest.
if you have a sense for performing art like painting, than you have the basics for making great artistic photos! Because the requirements for aesthetical composition are the same. I'm lucky enough to be artistically gifted .....😉and as you said, luck (and equipment)is a enormous factor.
In order: skill, gear, talent, personality
Okay, so we didn't agree, initially, but you gave a much broader definition of personality than what I was thinking.
I put skill above gear because, although gear is important, you have to have the skill to be able to use the gear. Shooting at 20 FPS for action with eye detect AF is pointless if your other settings are wrong. You just end up with 20 FPS that are blurry because your shutter speed was too low, or are dark because you had a completely wrong exposure set, and so on.
I take photos because I don't have the skill or talent to create amazing artwork like Cathy and other amazing artists. Definitely don't have the patience for that either.
I may underestimate how challenging it was to make all those settings second nature, fair point.
Scott, I understand where you're coming from but I think Skill and Personality are almost inseparable. With gear, yes, I can train a chimpanzee to press a button with the camera in P mode and that chimpanzee will get some decent photos. I can take a person who has never handled a camera before and show them some settings and they can capture in focus and properly exposed photos. However, what most (ok many) of us who shoot wildlife and nature photographs have spend years (over 40 in my case) developing is the understanding of the creatures around us, how they behave at different times of the year, and the ability to sense when the action is going to happen and how to be in the right spot when it does. Yes, we all can hand a friend a camera, put them in the right spot at the right time, tell them to point and shoot and they will get some good images. However, take that same person, hand them your camera gear and tell them to go out and capture some interesting wildlife and nature images without you being around. They will come back with "birds on a stick", duck butt, deer butt, bees on flowers with petals cut off, etc. Personality (willingness to stick with it, to spend the time developing field craft, drive and desire) and skill (applying those personality traits and developing them to the point the photographer can make his/her own luck) I think are inseparable and equally important. As you accurately pointed out, talent and skill are different and many people confuse them. Admittedly the line of demarcation is somewhat fuzzy between them.
Appreciate the perspective. You're spot on with skill in the field regarding behavior, etc. but I am sometimes thinking about popular ho😂t spots with action. Some species. Eagles. Ospreys. For example don't require as much "skill" especially with modern cameras doing the legwork. Imagine taking those images 30 years ago on film with manual focused 600mm lens. Now that is skill lol.
@@WildlifeInspired I hear ya. I started shooting nature and wildlife in the early 1980's with film and manual focus. In those days, I thought the Aperture Priority mode on my FE2 was a technological miracle. Even with Osprey, one needs to (or should) understand their behavior... things like they tend to hover right before a dive. I agree with 909% of what you said. I just think the link between skill and personality are tighter than the video presented. It is a good and thought provoking video and I enjoyed it.
Totally agree with you. I took up photography as a hobby and this hobby always give me the feeling of satisfaction but at the same time gives me the motivation to better myself. Never gotten tired of that thirst to make something already good, better.
Thanks for sharing!
As an artist, I can say what draw eagle is so more simple thing, you dont need go somewhere and after go home with nothing from day to day, catch the best pose. You just draw what u want
I had a similar conversation with my wife recently. I've always been considered to be a "talented" artist. I've always had an artistic eye. The ability to draw and recreate what i see on a medium was natural. it also somewhat translates to photography. I came to the realization that artistic does not equal creative. Anyone can learn art theory, music theory, the skills using mediums, etc. and become proficient. The TRULY talented ones are able to take those skills and create.. not just recreate. I'm not a particularly creative person. I have skills and some talent, but I don't have the ability to see something in a new way. I do mainly portrait style wildlife (I'm still fairly new) but, imo, that's just another aspect of recreation... not true creativity. in wildlife photography, maybe creativity is less important... but anyways, interesting video and topic!
I do get really inspired by creative wildlife photography as opposed to the hyper detailed work that is often front of mind.
1. Personality traits: You need patience and the desire to find and be in the locations that contain the wildlife. I was at a common location for Osprey. Relatively comfortable and easy to get to. A woman shows up in her Gucci shoes and $20k camera set up and asks: "what time do the Osprey show up"? She gave it about 30 minutes and left. About an hour later, I had 8 Osprey diving in front of me.
2. Gear: Long lens, high frame rate. Maybe good tracking, but that could be substituted with skill.
3. Skill: Know your gear, exposure triangle, effects of lighting and set yourself up in a good location. Be prepared for the most likely scenario that will present itself.
4. Talent: I think talent is the ability to visualize something and then create it. Most wildlife photographers don't really know what they are going to come back with. Although, I think being able to see a composition and the color and lighting is a talent. For me, I don't usually see this until I am in post, wishing for another opportunity at the same shot.
Gucci lol the best footwear for real wildlife photogs
Hi Scott, thanks for this interesting analysis! And I fully agree with your final order of importance.
However, I have some trouble with your question whether action photography is more about the moment than skill. Unless you buy a ticket for a bird show, I feel it requires significant skill to find 'the moment'. I'm here not talking about the technical skill to operate the camera, but the skill to know when and where to find interesting birds, to learn their behavior, to recognize what they do right before they perform some action.
With including this within the definition of skill, it's clear skill should beat the importance of even the best animal eye-AF and long glass. But indeed it takes personality to develop these skills.
I get that as DEFINITELY respect the skill it takes to find birds. That said, I see a lot of popular photographers just showing up to hot spots that are well known and certainly took no work. For those, I think there is less skill (even less now that cameras are doing a bulk of the work). Now find me an old school just manually focusing on Osprey with fish and I'll give him props.
@@WildlifeInspired Okay, with this clarification we're completely on the same page ;-) I was not aware so many popular photographers were taking it that easy, looks like I'm rather following the real ones.
I believe I only came across 2 hotspots with thousands of puffins during our Iceland holiday last summer. Still it was an amazing experience and with their speed it remained a nightmare to get decent flight shots. But in that case no skill was needed to find them after getting the right month and the right hour to turn up.
Just come across your Chanel like the gear comparisons love them being tall is a major problem with the monos and try's .I find sitting down a game changer both for height problems and comfort I've come across collapsible Corteeener style plastic chair easy fit in bag .Love a chair review for angles comfort and if your tall and less noticeable .Plastic one looks new design v basic got one on order .Also if can sit on something ..tall problems lol
I have this like stool I have used for years, and I do like it, its really small and light, but I keep eyeballing chairs online wondering if there is a better option. Maybe ill give a look to a few.
@@WildlifeInspired the one I've order is like a funnel shape stool can adjust height of it but the Beauty is if folds to next to nothing round sear shape size .Being tall a /hard to get pod high enough and b getting an angle for overhead shot seat solves a lot of this .See how it performs ?
You recognized the potential of the moment and able to catch the scene of the eagle, but fell short because it was not processed as skillfully as it could have been. How is that different than the scratchboard artist who recognize that moment of the eagle touching the water and the skills to copy that split second of time, without your image, her image would not exist.
A photographer that lasts over time is not unlike a landscape photographer who plans a scene and is there at the the right time because they plan and prepare. Yes gear is important, but you can have the most expensive gear in the world and you won't necessarily have the ability to catch a great photo. And frankly, I don't know anybody who has a God given ability to track birds.
Unfortunately I don't think what I expressed and what you heard are the same thing.
I have never said that gear is more important than skill, but I DID say that for ACTION specifically it matters a lot more, and I would find it hard to believe that anyone would disagree.
I'd also argue that without a doubt people are born with better or worse hand-eye coordination.
@@WildlifeInspired Perhaps I did, or maybe not. I can tell you that I am one of those people born with less hand-eye coordination, in fact it's a bit of a joke with my friends.
What I heard in your comments is that photography is less of an artform and talent than what the scratchboard artist created. Wildlife photography even less than landscape photography because it is more accidental that could not be achieved without expensive gear.
My point which might not have been conveyed very well is that it takes the skills, talent and the right tools to create the final result. Even the scratchboard artist (I'm not denying her talent and agree her image is outstanding) benefited from your photo because she would not have been able to catch that image without the inspiration of a photo that was captured through the speed of the camera, perhaps even transferred directly to the board.
Many artists are inspired by photography. It doesn't make either more or less talented, or more or less skilled, they just know how to use their tools.