I left my house last Saturday confident I would capture the perfect image of a hummingbird. On the way to the workshop at the Patuxent Research Refuge I mentally reviewed the equipment packed in the back of the Jeep. The last step in my pre-class review was the reminder to relax.
Learning is part of the process of personal and professional growth. That is why I take every opportunity to attend photography workshops. I was far from successful last year when I tried to photograph hummingbirds.
Did I learn anything on my first attempt? Hummingbirds are fast, small, and quite colorful. If you check my Facebook photo files before last Saturday you won’t find any hummingbird images in my files. That’s because I shot a lot of air, trees, a feeder, blurry birds, and a cat.
Since that time I’ve learned to study the habits of the subject I’ve set out to shoot. By taking time to study prior to the class it makes it easier to focus on the information being presented by the instructors. Combined, all these elements set the stage for the shoot.
Did I capture the perfect shot? What I captured that morning were a few great images and others to critique. Actually I hope I never achieve perfect because I want to keep learning.
