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.
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.
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 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!
Scott, in addition to personality, I think a little experience goes a long way as well. Skill comes with experience. Anyone can get lucky and take a good sharp photograph. Look at the cell phone camera photography. Almost all of us have one with a camera. The old question of, “What’s the best camera in the world? Answer: The one you have with you!,” is a classic example. To be a Wildlife Photographer, in my opinion requires: Skill - comes from experience which leads to Talent Personality Traits - Patience and maturity. Learning you subject. Tolerance of Nature and weather: cold and wet, one or the other or both! Gear - Absolutely to a point. Large mammals, birds in flight, range, available light, are all consistent with gear. Better gear gives on more options. Talent - Might be natural, but in my experience, talent comes with experience. Experience comes from failing and failing again until it becomes engrained. It’s a combination of all the above, and one trait may be most important TODAY, yet tomorrow may require another trait to be top of the list. It all comes from experience, and that comes from the willingness to keep going even if it’s hard. That’s my take. Great thought provoking video. I like it and will be back! I’m a fan!😊
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.
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.
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’m impressed most with the artistic abilities of photographers who pre visualize the images they want to represent and go out and get them. Then know how to present their product in the most effective manner. That, to me, is different than one who is able to capture found images. I have to say that the second person is me.
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
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 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.
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.
@@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 🙂
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)"
I do both, studio and wildlife photography and agree 100% with you. All images that come out of camera can be improved in post-production. Most people just want simple solutions and are not willing or even shy away from developing skills through time and effort. Working for over 25 years with Photoshop I feel, that there are so many skills you cannot simply learn in a few weeks or hours. Sure there are modern technologies in cameras these days like stacking, autofocus tracking and high speed sync, but beside talent, you still have to put in the learning process to maximize results and consistency, even if you have lots of talent. Gear is almost more important in wildlife photography than in other lines, because you often work in low light conditions which demands expensive, efficient tele lenses and low noise sensors. Even though I worked for over 40 years as a wildlife biologist, in wildlife photography you can never predict the outcome and there is definitely a large amount of luck involved. Unless you are at a game farm, you cannot manipulate your models and many other factors like you can in other sectors of photography.
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.
(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.
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.
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
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.
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 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
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
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 ^_^
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.
Great talk. I agree with your ranking, but I think one thing is also very important. The „eye“ for whats working and whats not working. Maybe its under the category skill. The more pictures you look (from different styles), the more you train your eye. And I think some people learn faster than others and some not. When I looked at pictures 5years ago, I found them super nice, which today isnt always the case and this is because your „eye“ also learns over time and so you often see a scene or a frame before you take the picture and know if it works or not.
Another super YT video Scott, thank you. One of my favourite things about your channel is you are not afraid to go where others won’t i.e. raise thought-provoking topics and ask challenging/provocative questions, as is very much the case here. For me, I think technology/gear has raised the quality bar across the board. The past 8 years or so, I used to pride myself on my ability to capture birds-in-flight as it was somewhat challenging & required some skill and hand-eye coordination and being brutally frank and honest, not a lot of people could do it well. Since AF subject-tracking became commonplace in 2020 onwards, BIF shots are now a relative piece of cake and the plethora of decent BIF shots on social media nowadays is testament to that. That said, the advent of mirrorless pro bodies and in particular - the new electronic viewfinders with their what-you-see-is-what-you-get view - has enabled me to explore whole new genres of wildlife photography that had hitherto been very challenging for me, namely back-lit images. No more (well, almost no more) blowing highlights for me, and no constantly having to check - during critical moments - the back of camera for blinkies. So, yes, I think gear does make taking acceptable images these days a lot easier. However, gear will never make up for creativity, perseverance and patience. Folks with those qualities generally have an idea/ideas in their mind before they go shooting…and then they go to work to make it happen (check the weather, sunrise/set times & light direction, know the subject’s behaviour,etc, etc). I wholeheartedly believe that someone with a basic camera and those 3 aforementioned qualities will always produce more interesting and engaging images than someone with the best gear and none of those qualities i.e. just shoot whatever is front of them with little thought/plan whatsoever. I used to be the latter & I thoroughly enjoyed it at the time (I like being in nature, period), but as I saw spectacular images from other folks that I really admired and looked into how they got them, I realised it wasn’t just luck (although that certainly helps!), but a lot of thought, prep and patience. As for creativity…well that’s difficult one…there are certain rules/laws in art, but knowing them (or not) & knowing when & when not to apply them…that’s what makes us all unique 😊.
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.
I think you are bang on the money here tbh. I'm a long time portrait photographer who has spent many years honing my craft and just recently decided to try experimenting with wildlife for fun on the side and I am surprised at how much success I've had fast with just a Nikon 200-500. It took me years with portraiture and lighting to get to a point where I was creating images that were even passably not embarrassing but with wildlife I feel like I've snapped a few magazine quality images within a few weeks of buying a super telephoto lens. That said, I feel that there is still great skill required in wildlife photography, its just that skill isn't in making the capture. Rather, I think the skill is in consistency and in capturing rare and hard to find species and then having the speed, dexterity, patience, and intuition to capture images of those animals in a fleeting moment. I think the greatest "talent" that exists in truly amazing wildlife photographers is incredible patience and the ability to maintain absolute focus during a long period of patience. I remember watching a video a while back where Morten Hilmer was set on capturing an image of an Arctic Wolf in the far north of Canada in the winter. He figured out where the wolf was likely to be and set up his tent as a blind. He then entered the tent and spent the next 72 hours inside that tent looking out the window of that tent the whole time. Presumably barely moving at all and even peeing into a bottle so he didn't have to take a step out of the tent. Eventually the wolf showed up but it was too far away to make good photo of even with with an 800mm lens and a 1.4TC. Hilmer continued to wait patiently while the wolf decided to lie down and go to sleep. The wolf slept for hours. Hilmer watched the whole time praying that when the wolf woke up that it would randomly decide to walk in the right direction. After hours of sleep the wolf finally did wake up and walk towards Hilmer who got the shot. The actual aiming and firing didn't take much expertise but the talent for incredible patience that something like that requires is almost super human. to stay awake for 70+ hours in a state of both utter boredom and also razer sharp focus in order to be ready to make a shot that he only had a few precious seconds to make is an incredible talent. It is something I know I have no ability to do. I should also add that he did all this in -30 degree weather and blizzard conditions.
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.
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
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.
Determination and patience are human qualities, that and the ability to take on board information and use it to you benefit. I would say that (myself included here) many of us are dictated/led by the constraints of what we see others doing on Social media etc, and that can have a direct impact on what you perceive to be the 'correct way' to go about your photography. I only started a year ago, but i feel I benefited from not being steered as much by social media, and my raw passion and inquisitiveness about my subjects was all that mattered, so when i look back at these images they seem to me less contrived and I feel more and more this should inform my future self! 1. Personality 2. Gear 3. Skill/Talent - I can't differentiate between these really
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.
@@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!
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!
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 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.
Great discussion, and totally agree on almost all points here. Different photography genres all have such different learning curves and prerequisite skills. Wildlife vs portrait vs photojournalism... many layers to each and not everyone is cut out for one or more of them. Once we get beyond basic skills needed to capture acceptable images - maybe even a few great images here & there - then we're really getting into the difference between good... and GREAT. That's where true TALENT lives, plus drive and motivation, plus quality gear... I could go on. What's really interesting about your 4 examples - gear, personality traits, skill, talent - I can't think of any two genres that would require the same order of importance. Weddings vs wildlife... totally different order. Macro vs sports... totally different order... real estate... landscape... fashion... product... the list goes on - all so different. A personal example - to me, wildlife photography is HARD. I love it - but I pretty much suck at it. Why? Because I'm just not good, or even highly driven, at getting myself out there, to be in the right place at the right time. I was really good at being in the right place at the right time - and quickly - in my news photography days. Lol you're completely SOL without that skill in that genre. But that ONE point to me is crucial - being good at getting to the spot where the thing happens. Hey, drop me in the middle of a wildlife convention and I'll capture some great stuff. But me getting myself there, really knowing wildlife behavior, hell even just how to FIND wildlife... admittedly I lack the skill and motivation to pursue that to a "great" level. Really interesting and nuanced topic. Thanks Scott!
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 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.
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 couldnt agree with you more Scott. I started my photography journey as a Landscape photographer and really only got into Wildlife photography a few years ago. For me, wildlife photography is all about the moment. Coming from a landscape background gave me much more understanding about light and composition and how to apply them to my wildlife photography. Each genre has there own difficulties and learning curve but i do think you can get lucky in wildlife with little skill and create good images. For me its all about the light. The true difficult with wildlife photography is the field craft and the patience. Now that really is a skill set.
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.
You're spot on in terms of all your points. I do underwater photography which in my opinion requires a TONNE more skill (not talent) than architectural photography. Any wildlife photography is bound to be harder than static buildings. But I feel talent starts creeping in when you see amazing compositions. I think skill improves quite drastically when you've got good training and you see someone with amazing shots constantly. Most people, given time, can get amazing shots which are formulaic. Few people can get iconic shots.
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!
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.
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
One of the best wildlife photographers I know I would rank differently than myself. I admire his work tremendously. As long as I have know him he has had minimal gear and average skill and talent BUT his personality traits are his key. He has no problem waiting out all day in very cold weather or laying down in a mud puddle for six hours to get a shot. For him I say personality, Skill, talent, and gear. For me I like some adventure but have limited patience and my work has improved over time as I get better gear. I am now spending more time working on both my time in the field and post processing. For myself I'd say Gear followed by Skill, personality, and finally Talent
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
This puts my own photography journey in perspective. I started out doing astrophotography, but oneday the desire to take a photo of a bird gripped me. So I used my Canon 2000D and a Celestron 70mm Travel Telescope and started taking photos of birds. It was extremely difficult and my first photos absolutely sucked. But I worked hard at refining it because it was such a satisfying feeling to get a banger image out of the setup I was running. Now I have bought my first real lens and the results are astronomical because that great tool is now paired with the great skill I developed using a mediocre setup that by all rights shouldn't have even been practical.
It's getting to be annoying how much I agree with you. I couldn't find a flaw in your argument at all, I might also create a third category which I try to slot myself into where you combine the action, portraiture and then amalgamate it into fine art. Or F'art in certain circles but I digress. Trying to build your eye and talent along with honing field craft and ethics is a large task to take on. It's even harder to put that all into practices with consistency. I've been mentoring a kid the past year or so who is a natural talent, he builds an image in his head and drives himself until he gets it. It's so refreshing when you're surrounded by people just pressing buttons. Applaud you for bringing this up, people need to hear it more and more as they just assume the gear is going to be the success factor they have been lacking. Maybe it is but not likely. I will share this.
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.
Good video man.....I proudly say that I live by one of Hippocrates' famous sayings: “The art is long, life is short, opportunity fleeting, experiment dangerous, judgment difficult.”.....it applies to my profession and also applies to this lifelong beautiful hobby of wildlife photography as you explained well.
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. :)
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.
With your example I agree, I would also add that you could "teach" by putting a branch next to feed and getting close up "bird on a stick". But lets look at what type off photos you take, "nature and birds" "color and birds" and the combination of both. The end result is an artistic beautiful well composed photograph. I believe you can teach rules of composition till your blue in the face, but you, or anyone for that matter cannot teach someone to see the composition in front of them. You see that branch and how it would contribute to a great composition, you see that flower and know how that would contribute to the beauty. Thats talent as I see it and thats my argument to putting talent first. I hope that makes sense. Excellent vlog, lots to think about.
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.
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.
Great video Scott. I agree with your ranking ... especially in rating Personality first. It is often said that patience and perseverance is what helps a wildlife photographer get that 'money' shot. Waiting for the moment and enduring time, weather and everything else that gets in your way???? But then I wonder, and I know what I am like, part of my personality is 'stubbornness' - that is not wanting to give up because a better opportunity might present itself ... just plain old stubborn!!!!
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"
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 😄
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 agree fully with your rankings! I was on a bird photo tour in Ecuador in 2019 & the tour owner looked at my D7200 and Nikon 200-500 and said that I'd never get any good shots with that equipment. He continuous told me that I was doing everything wrong AND in most cases my bird photos (standing right beside him, sometimes hand held, sometimes on my monopod) were better than his taken with a D5 and 600mm f4 on a tripod. So as the old song goes "It ain't the meat, it's the motion" or lack thereof.
2 years new to bird & wildlife photography. The learning curve is steep. Build camera skills, editing skills, and field craft I’ve recognized from the beginning that all of these are important. Luckily, I so love being out in nature. Not sure how high I rank on talent! But I have a serious desire to create work that invokes that Wow feeling. I would love to see more videos that will help us deepen our understanding of bird behavior and field craft. I’m surprised how much you can learn just by observation, then Google! Who knew seagulls will try to drown ducks? That blue jays eat frogs? My rankings : skill, gear, personality, talent. Thanks for the thoughtful content!
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.
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.
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.
Great video and interesting topic. My take is that personality, skill, and talent are all of equal importance with gear being the least important. My reasoning is that anyone can take a photo using anything from the cheapest to the most expensive gear. That doesn't mean that anyone can make a compelling image. To make compelling images requires that a photographer has the proper personality traits, the skill with the equipment to make a good photo, and the talent to identify what makes a compelling image over something thats just a photo. All three have to work in concert and if all three work well, compelling photos can be made with any level of gear in the hands of a skilled, talented and driven photographer. I rank gear as the least important because it's outside of the photographer. Better gear is a tool that makes creating compelling images easier and opens up more options for the photographer to create different images. But the gear itself doesn't have an effect on the combined abilities of the photographer to create the image. Thanks for the video and thoughtful discussion.
Personality, Skill, Talent, Gear. Thank you Scott for a great discussion, something good to think about. One of the issues I have is with the term, Professional. I like to think that I have a professional attitude but think of myself more as an artist. I recently had an interaction with a person that had top-level gear, called themself Professional Wildlife Photographer on their website but told me they shot JPG, Full auto and did not post process in PS or any other work other than sharpening or cropping and shot captive animals in game farms but would not disclose that. IMO that is not professional nor artist but personality is still #1 then gear but little if any skill or talent.
I try to get it positive here but I gotta say. The person you describe rubs me wrong. The game farm thing is a sore spot. Doesn't sound like a skilled professional.
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.
100% agree. I think the drive to capture creative images, learning the subjects and their behaviors, and having an appreciation for the wildlife you are photographing is so critical to seperating yourself from all the others (if that is a goal). Gear is important, but with technology making it so easy to capture action, it doesn't require much skill to operate them and come away with razor sharp action shots. I could go either way with talent and skill, as both are important. Over time, skills develop, but trying to teach someone to see a photo in their mind before they take the photo, is not something easily taught and some are just more talented at making pleasing/amazing images. I follow many photographers (mainly amateurs), who have older, less expensive gear and continually blow my mind with their images. Is that talent or skill, or both? Great topic! I am offended, but will still follow you 😂
Great video and I agree 100% with what you said. Quite a few artists use my photos as references for their work and, for me, there is no greater compliment. My own background is in art and design (although I don't work in the creative industries) and when I take my photos I try to create a composition that works, a background that suits and a level of detail that goes beyond what we normally can see with our own eyes so If they see one of my photos as a potential painting, or a sketch, or a even as a cross-stitch or something, then they're seeing what I was hoping they would see. In effect, they're telling me I did a good job with that particular image.
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.
I love your honesty. An agree with your views as I have said the same thing often to my friends. Even if we take images of the best in our field, it is really about opportunity or the moment than about talent. Yes, it could require tremendous amount of skill to make the right choice of settings. But nothing one can not acquire with time and efforts. But without talent, no amount of hours will allow you to create a master piece of painting or music.
I agree exactly with your choices for wildlife photography. As for landscape photography, patience is number one, but I think skill is is very, very close. A good landscape photographer will look or anticipate good lighting, backgrounds, compositions, etc. A good wildlife photographer will incorporate this into his wildlife photography, but I suspect inexperienced wildlife photographers are a bit slow to incorporate that into skillset.
16:16 Scott, Personality, skill, equipment ( and the ability to make it work,right), talent. I am a hobbyist, large bird photographer. My experience goes back 20+ years in the field, with a long break until 1 1/2 years ago when I started going out 2-3x a week . I spend the time that my 70 year old body will allow. I am driven and posses the ability to WAIT for the birds to move. ( sometimes takes a long time) Raptors have an incredible amount of patience! I have come upon some dramatic scenes of birds interacting with other birds and one of the keys to capturing that shot is to be ready! Have the camera and lens set properly BEFORE the unexpected happens. IMHO, luck has a significant part in this equation. As always, enjoy your thought provoking topics and comments.
Love it! I don't consider myself as very talented or skillful, but I have a very determined personality and love the outdoors and birds. I will succeed! I think that your comment about your first eagle photo being Just Luck defines all of us? After all, the more that you practice, the luckier you get!
Great discussion! I appreciate how reflective you are! I mostly agree. However, I think what you're calling personality is actually broader (maybe "personality and mindset"?), as it includes things much less stable than personality (motivation, life circumstances, leisure time, social reinforcement, etc.). Just a minor objection. Even for action shots, I'd still put gear tied with skill. If the other factors in your list are favorable, one can get quite good action shots with minimal gear (e.g., fast shutter speed, center focus point on an old DSLR). I don't know if youv'e followed Duade Paton, but he sometimes shows the excellent results he gets when he tries out budget gear. (I think one video was with a $50 twenty year old camera.) You obviously can get a higher keeper rate with better gear though.
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.
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.
Hi Scott, this is my first video I have watched from you. Thank you for sharing you thoughts to the world. My two cents to the video: I personally think that talent is "creativity", to see the opportunity, the right angle, the right moment and having the photo already in mind how it should be. Skill is something everyone can learn, like e.g. knowledge of the tools you use and the bird you want to photograph. Personality is really important and I would rank that also on place no. 1, if you don't have the right mindset it will be hard. But I would also bring in "luck", sometimes you just need to be lucky that a special moment happens.
Luck for sure. I think time is such a big factor. Time is like buying more lottery tickets. You still need to be lucky, but just increases the odds. Thanks for the view and comment come back soon!
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.
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 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.
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!
Scott, in addition to personality, I think a little experience goes a long way as well. Skill comes with experience. Anyone can get lucky and take a good sharp photograph. Look at the cell phone camera photography. Almost all of us have one with a camera. The old question of, “What’s the best camera in the world? Answer: The one you have with you!,” is a classic example. To be a Wildlife Photographer, in my opinion requires:
Skill - comes from experience which leads to Talent
Personality Traits - Patience and maturity. Learning you subject. Tolerance of Nature and weather: cold and wet, one or the other or both!
Gear - Absolutely to a point. Large mammals, birds in flight, range, available light, are all consistent with gear. Better gear gives on more options.
Talent - Might be natural, but in my experience, talent comes with experience. Experience comes from failing and failing again until it becomes engrained.
It’s a combination of all the above, and one trait may be most important TODAY, yet tomorrow may require another trait to be top of the list. It all comes from experience, and that comes from the willingness to keep going even if it’s hard.
That’s my take. Great thought provoking video. I like it and will be back! I’m a fan!😊
Thanks!
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."
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.
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’m impressed most with the artistic abilities of photographers who pre visualize the images they want to represent and go out and get them. Then know how to present their product in the most effective manner. That, to me, is different than one who is able to capture found images. I have to say that the second person is me.
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
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 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
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 🙂
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!
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
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.
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
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
i think of it this way, personality, talent, skill, gear. but the most important thing of all is to be able to see.
I do both, studio and wildlife photography and agree 100% with you. All images that come out of camera can be improved in post-production. Most people just want simple solutions and are not willing or even shy away from developing skills through time and effort. Working for over 25 years with Photoshop I feel, that there are so many skills you cannot simply learn in a few weeks or hours. Sure there are modern technologies in cameras these days like stacking, autofocus tracking and high speed sync, but beside talent, you still have to put in the learning process to maximize results and consistency, even if you have lots of talent. Gear is almost more important in wildlife photography than in other lines, because you often work in low light conditions which demands expensive, efficient tele lenses and low noise sensors. Even though I worked for over 40 years as a wildlife biologist, in wildlife photography you can never predict the outcome and there is definitely a large amount of luck involved. Unless you are at a game farm, you cannot manipulate your models and many other factors like you can in other sectors of photography.
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 !
Very true. You speak my mind sir. I did multiple types of photography in my life. I completely agree with you.
(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.
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.
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
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 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
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
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
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 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.
Great talk. I agree with your ranking, but I think one thing is also very important. The „eye“ for whats working and whats not working. Maybe its under the category skill. The more pictures you look (from different styles), the more you train your eye. And I think some people learn faster than others and some not. When I looked at pictures 5years ago, I found them super nice, which today isnt always the case and this is because your „eye“ also learns over time and so you often see a scene or a frame before you take the picture and know if it works or not.
Yes. The eye. Hard to define what that is. Maybe talent plus skill. Sounds like a good topic for discussion.
Another super YT video Scott, thank you. One of my favourite things about your channel is you are not afraid to go where others won’t i.e. raise thought-provoking topics and ask challenging/provocative questions, as is very much the case here.
For me, I think technology/gear has raised the quality bar across the board. The past 8 years or so, I used to pride myself on my ability to capture birds-in-flight as it was somewhat challenging & required some skill and hand-eye coordination and being brutally frank and honest, not a lot of people could do it well. Since AF subject-tracking became commonplace in 2020 onwards, BIF shots are now a relative piece of cake and the plethora of decent BIF shots on social media nowadays is testament to that.
That said, the advent of mirrorless pro bodies and in particular - the new electronic viewfinders with their what-you-see-is-what-you-get view - has enabled me to explore whole new genres of wildlife photography that had hitherto been very challenging for me, namely back-lit images. No more (well, almost no more) blowing highlights for me, and no constantly having to check - during critical moments - the back of camera for blinkies.
So, yes, I think gear does make taking acceptable images these days a lot easier.
However, gear will never make up for creativity, perseverance and patience. Folks with those qualities generally have an idea/ideas in their mind before they go shooting…and then they go to work to make it happen (check the weather, sunrise/set times & light direction, know the subject’s behaviour,etc, etc). I wholeheartedly believe that someone with a basic camera and those 3 aforementioned qualities will always produce more interesting and engaging images than someone with the best gear and none of those qualities i.e. just shoot whatever is front of them with little thought/plan whatsoever. I used to be the latter & I thoroughly enjoyed it at the time (I like being in nature, period), but as I saw spectacular images from other folks that I really admired and looked into how they got them, I realised it wasn’t just luck (although that certainly helps!), but a lot of thought, prep and patience.
As for creativity…well that’s difficult one…there are certain rules/laws in art, but knowing them (or not) & knowing when & when not to apply them…that’s what makes us all unique 😊.
Totally agree with all of the above
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.
I think you are bang on the money here tbh. I'm a long time portrait photographer who has spent many years honing my craft and just recently decided to try experimenting with wildlife for fun on the side and I am surprised at how much success I've had fast with just a Nikon 200-500. It took me years with portraiture and lighting to get to a point where I was creating images that were even passably not embarrassing but with wildlife I feel like I've snapped a few magazine quality images within a few weeks of buying a super telephoto lens.
That said, I feel that there is still great skill required in wildlife photography, its just that skill isn't in making the capture. Rather, I think the skill is in consistency and in capturing rare and hard to find species and then having the speed, dexterity, patience, and intuition to capture images of those animals in a fleeting moment.
I think the greatest "talent" that exists in truly amazing wildlife photographers is incredible patience and the ability to maintain absolute focus during a long period of patience. I remember watching a video a while back where Morten Hilmer was set on capturing an image of an Arctic Wolf in the far north of Canada in the winter. He figured out where the wolf was likely to be and set up his tent as a blind. He then entered the tent and spent the next 72 hours inside that tent looking out the window of that tent the whole time. Presumably barely moving at all and even peeing into a bottle so he didn't have to take a step out of the tent. Eventually the wolf showed up but it was too far away to make good photo of even with with an 800mm lens and a 1.4TC. Hilmer continued to wait patiently while the wolf decided to lie down and go to sleep. The wolf slept for hours. Hilmer watched the whole time praying that when the wolf woke up that it would randomly decide to walk in the right direction. After hours of sleep the wolf finally did wake up and walk towards Hilmer who got the shot. The actual aiming and firing didn't take much expertise but the talent for incredible patience that something like that requires is almost super human. to stay awake for 70+ hours in a state of both utter boredom and also razer sharp focus in order to be ready to make a shot that he only had a few precious seconds to make is an incredible talent. It is something I know I have no ability to do. I should also add that he did all this in -30 degree weather and blizzard conditions.
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
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
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.
Determination and patience are human qualities, that and the ability to take on board information and use it to you benefit. I would say that (myself included here) many of us are dictated/led by the constraints of what we see others doing on Social media etc, and that can have a direct impact on what you perceive to be the 'correct way' to go about your photography. I only started a year ago, but i feel I benefited from not being steered as much by social media, and my raw passion and inquisitiveness about my subjects was all that mattered, so when i look back at these images they seem to me less contrived and I feel more and more this should inform my future self!
1. Personality
2. Gear
3. Skill/Talent - I can't differentiate between these really
Determination (for anything!) is such a critical quality to possess. If you have it, youre likely to excel
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!
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!
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 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)
Great discussion, and totally agree on almost all points here. Different photography genres all have such different learning curves and prerequisite skills. Wildlife vs portrait vs photojournalism... many layers to each and not everyone is cut out for one or more of them. Once we get beyond basic skills needed to capture acceptable images - maybe even a few great images here & there - then we're really getting into the difference between good... and GREAT. That's where true TALENT lives, plus drive and motivation, plus quality gear... I could go on.
What's really interesting about your 4 examples - gear, personality traits, skill, talent - I can't think of any two genres that would require the same order of importance. Weddings vs wildlife... totally different order. Macro vs sports... totally different order... real estate... landscape... fashion... product... the list goes on - all so different.
A personal example - to me, wildlife photography is HARD. I love it - but I pretty much suck at it. Why? Because I'm just not good, or even highly driven, at getting myself out there, to be in the right place at the right time. I was really good at being in the right place at the right time - and quickly - in my news photography days. Lol you're completely SOL without that skill in that genre. But that ONE point to me is crucial - being good at getting to the spot where the thing happens. Hey, drop me in the middle of a wildlife convention and I'll capture some great stuff. But me getting myself there, really knowing wildlife behavior, hell even just how to FIND wildlife... admittedly I lack the skill and motivation to pursue that to a "great" level.
Really interesting and nuanced topic. Thanks Scott!
thanks for you take craig!
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
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!
Skill,personality,talent, gear
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!
I couldnt agree with you more Scott. I started my photography journey as a Landscape photographer and really only got into Wildlife photography a few years ago. For me, wildlife photography is all about the moment. Coming from a landscape background gave me much more understanding about light and composition and how to apply them to my wildlife photography. Each genre has there own difficulties and learning curve but i do think you can get lucky in wildlife with little skill and create good images. For me its all about the light.
The true difficult with wildlife photography is the field craft and the patience. Now that really is a skill set.
field craft and patience..... looking for a heart emoji
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.
You're spot on in terms of all your points. I do underwater photography which in my opinion requires a TONNE more skill (not talent) than architectural photography.
Any wildlife photography is bound to be harder than static buildings. But I feel talent starts creeping in when you see amazing compositions.
I think skill improves quite drastically when you've got good training and you see someone with amazing shots constantly.
Most people, given time, can get amazing shots which are formulaic. Few people can get iconic shots.
Well said
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!
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.
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.
One of the best wildlife photographers I know I would rank differently than myself. I admire his work tremendously. As long as I have know him he has had minimal gear and average skill and talent BUT his personality traits are his key. He has no problem waiting out all day in very cold weather or laying down in a mud puddle for six hours to get a shot. For him I say personality, Skill, talent, and gear. For me I like some adventure but have limited patience and my work has improved over time as I get better gear. I am now spending more time working on both my time in the field and post processing. For myself I'd say Gear followed by Skill, personality, and finally Talent
I always admire the sheer determination of some people, like the person you mentioned.
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.
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.
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.
Totally agree with you on this.
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
Personality, skill, talent, gear, and a big factor luck!
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 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
This puts my own photography journey in perspective. I started out doing astrophotography, but oneday the desire to take a photo of a bird gripped me. So I used my Canon 2000D and a Celestron 70mm Travel Telescope and started taking photos of birds. It was extremely difficult and my first photos absolutely sucked. But I worked hard at refining it because it was such a satisfying feeling to get a banger image out of the setup I was running. Now I have bought my first real lens and the results are astronomical because that great tool is now paired with the great skill I developed using a mediocre setup that by all rights shouldn't have even been practical.
its like getting a car that finally goes fast lol
It's getting to be annoying how much I agree with you. I couldn't find a flaw in your argument at all, I might also create a third category which I try to slot myself into where you combine the action, portraiture and then amalgamate it into fine art. Or F'art in certain circles but I digress. Trying to build your eye and talent along with honing field craft and ethics is a large task to take on. It's even harder to put that all into practices with consistency. I've been mentoring a kid the past year or so who is a natural talent, he builds an image in his head and drives himself until he gets it. It's so refreshing when you're surrounded by people just pressing buttons. Applaud you for bringing this up, people need to hear it more and more as they just assume the gear is going to be the success factor they have been lacking. Maybe it is but not likely. I will share this.
My man !
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.
Great video!
Personality
Gear
Skill
Talent
Thank you so much 🤗
Good video man.....I proudly say that I live by one of Hippocrates' famous sayings: “The art is long, life is short, opportunity fleeting, experiment dangerous, judgment difficult.”.....it applies to my profession and also applies to this lifelong beautiful hobby of wildlife photography as you explained well.
clearly you are much more learn-ed than I am, but I dig it!
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!
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
With your example I agree, I would also add that you could "teach" by putting a branch next to feed and getting close up "bird on a stick".
But lets look at what type off photos you take, "nature and birds" "color and birds" and the combination of both. The end result is an artistic beautiful well composed photograph. I believe you can teach rules of composition till your blue in the face, but you, or anyone for that matter cannot teach someone to see the composition in front of them. You see that branch and how it would contribute to a great composition, you see that flower and know how that would contribute to the beauty. Thats talent as I see it and thats my argument to putting talent first.
I hope that makes sense. Excellent vlog, lots to think about.
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
Absolutely with you on this one
Thanks Nigel
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!
Great video Scott. I agree with your ranking ... especially in rating Personality first. It is often said that patience and perseverance is what helps a wildlife photographer get that 'money' shot. Waiting for the moment and enduring time, weather and everything else that gets in your way???? But then I wonder, and I know what I am like, part of my personality is 'stubbornness' - that is not wanting to give up because a better opportunity might present itself ... just plain old stubborn!!!!
Lol. Stubborn can be a powerful motivator. Guilty as charged
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"
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.
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 agree fully with your rankings! I was on a bird photo tour in Ecuador in 2019 & the tour owner looked at my D7200 and Nikon 200-500 and said that I'd never get any good shots with that equipment. He continuous told me that I was doing everything wrong AND in most cases my bird photos (standing right beside him, sometimes hand held, sometimes on my monopod) were better than his taken with a D5 and 600mm f4 on a tripod. So as the old song goes "It ain't the meat, it's the motion" or lack thereof.
Thats awesome and btw i shot d7200 for a while and its a great body!
2 years new to bird & wildlife photography. The learning curve is steep. Build camera skills, editing skills, and field craft
I’ve recognized from the beginning that all of these are important. Luckily, I so love being out in nature. Not sure how high I rank on talent! But I have a serious desire to create work that invokes that Wow feeling. I would love to see more videos that will help us deepen our understanding of bird behavior and field craft. I’m surprised how much you can learn just by observation, then Google! Who knew seagulls will try to drown ducks? That blue jays eat frogs? My rankings : skill, gear, personality, talent. Thanks for the thoughtful content!
Thanks. I will do a bit on behavior soon. Most the of the behind the scene stuff in on Patreon
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
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.
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.
Great video and interesting topic. My take is that personality, skill, and talent are all of equal importance with gear being the least important. My reasoning is that anyone can take a photo using anything from the cheapest to the most expensive gear. That doesn't mean that anyone can make a compelling image. To make compelling images requires that a photographer has the proper personality traits, the skill with the equipment to make a good photo, and the talent to identify what makes a compelling image over something thats just a photo. All three have to work in concert and if all three work well, compelling photos can be made with any level of gear in the hands of a skilled, talented and driven photographer. I rank gear as the least important because it's outside of the photographer. Better gear is a tool that makes creating compelling images easier and opens up more options for the photographer to create different images. But the gear itself doesn't have an effect on the combined abilities of the photographer to create the image. Thanks for the video and thoughtful discussion.
Personality, Skill, Talent, Gear. Thank you Scott for a great discussion, something good to think about. One of the issues I have is with the term, Professional. I like to think that I have a professional attitude but think of myself more as an artist. I recently had an interaction with a person that had top-level gear, called themself Professional Wildlife Photographer on their website but told me they shot JPG, Full auto and did not post process in PS or any other work other than sharpening or cropping and shot captive animals in game farms but would not disclose that. IMO that is not professional nor artist but personality is still #1 then gear but little if any skill or talent.
I try to get it positive here but I gotta say. The person you describe rubs me wrong. The game farm thing is a sore spot. Doesn't sound like a skilled professional.
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?)
100% agree. I think the drive to capture creative images, learning the subjects and their behaviors, and having an appreciation for the wildlife you are photographing is so critical to seperating yourself from all the others (if that is a goal). Gear is important, but with technology making it so easy to capture action, it doesn't require much skill to operate them and come away with razor sharp action shots. I could go either way with talent and skill, as both are important. Over time, skills develop, but trying to teach someone to see a photo in their mind before they take the photo, is not something easily taught and some are just more talented at making pleasing/amazing images. I follow many photographers (mainly amateurs), who have older, less expensive gear and continually blow my mind with their images. Is that talent or skill, or both?
Great topic! I am offended, but will still follow you 😂
I agree about some (often younger) photogs being inspiring.
Great video and I agree 100% with what you said. Quite a few artists use my photos as references for their work and, for me, there is no greater compliment. My own background is in art and design (although I don't work in the creative industries) and when I take my photos I try to create a composition that works, a background that suits and a level of detail that goes beyond what we normally can see with our own eyes so If they see one of my photos as a potential painting, or a sketch, or a even as a cross-stitch or something, then they're seeing what I was hoping they would see. In effect, they're telling me I did a good job with that particular image.
It's a nice compliment
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.
I love your honesty. An agree with your views as I have said the same thing often to my friends. Even if we take images of the best in our field, it is really about opportunity or the moment than about talent. Yes, it could require tremendous amount of skill to make the right choice of settings. But nothing one can not acquire with time and efforts. But without talent, no amount of hours will allow you to create a master piece of painting or music.
Well said!
I agree exactly with your choices for wildlife photography. As for landscape photography, patience is number one, but I think skill is is very, very close. A good landscape photographer will look or anticipate good lighting, backgrounds, compositions, etc. A good wildlife photographer will incorporate this into his wildlife photography, but I suspect inexperienced wildlife photographers are a bit slow to incorporate that into skillset.
Thanks Kerry, hope you are well !
16:16 Scott, Personality, skill, equipment ( and the ability to make it work,right), talent. I am a hobbyist, large bird photographer. My experience goes back 20+ years in the field, with a long break until 1 1/2 years ago when I started going out 2-3x a week . I spend the time that my 70 year old body will allow. I am driven and posses the ability to WAIT for the birds to move. ( sometimes takes a long time) Raptors have an incredible amount of patience! I have come upon some dramatic scenes of birds interacting with other birds and one of the keys to capturing that shot is to be ready! Have the camera and lens set properly BEFORE the unexpected happens. IMHO, luck has a significant part in this equation.
As always, enjoy your thought provoking topics and comments.
Luck happens when you're there to make it. Still haven't taken a good wildlife photo from my couch. Keep going strong !
Love it! I don't consider myself as very talented or skillful, but I have a very determined personality and love the outdoors and birds. I will succeed! I think that your comment about your first eagle photo being Just Luck defines all of us? After all, the more that you practice, the luckier you get!
Well said!
I wasn’t sure what direction you were taking this at the start but agree with your ranking. 👍🏼
Thanks Rodney
Great discussion! I appreciate how reflective you are!
I mostly agree. However, I think what you're calling personality is actually broader (maybe "personality and mindset"?), as it includes things much less stable than personality (motivation, life circumstances, leisure time, social reinforcement, etc.). Just a minor objection. Even for action shots, I'd still put gear tied with skill. If the other factors in your list are favorable, one can get quite good action shots with minimal gear (e.g., fast shutter speed, center focus point on an old DSLR). I don't know if youv'e followed Duade Paton, but he sometimes shows the excellent results he gets when he tries out budget gear. (I think one video was with a $50 twenty year old camera.) You obviously can get a higher keeper rate with better gear though.
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.
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.
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!
Hi Scott, this is my first video I have watched from you. Thank you for sharing you thoughts to the world. My two cents to the video:
I personally think that talent is "creativity", to see the opportunity, the right angle, the right moment and having the photo already in mind how it should be. Skill is something everyone can learn, like e.g. knowledge of the tools you use and the bird you want to photograph. Personality is really important and I would rank that also on place no. 1, if you don't have the right mindset it will be hard. But I would also bring in "luck", sometimes you just need to be lucky that a special moment happens.
Luck for sure. I think time is such a big factor. Time is like buying more lottery tickets. You still need to be lucky, but just increases the odds. Thanks for the view and comment come back soon!
@@WildlifeInspired that's a wonderful compairson and you're absolutely right about that. Have a great weekend.