One day seems like the perfect day for some fall photography—the leaves are beautiful, the sun is shining—but you don’t have the time that day because life’s other demands are calling. The next day? It’s snowing! That’s a picture-perfect example of how opportunities can truly be fleeting.
Sometimes, we miss photographic opportunities because we think, “It’ll be there another day, I can always come back to this.” But, the problem is, that isn’t always the case. Seasons change—sometimes rapidly before we realize what is happening. We pack up and move across the country, then look back at where we came from and recognize that we missed opportunities while still there.
The world is full of change. Change is the biggest constant. It’s the only thing we can guarantee: that our children will grow older, that we’ll go through different phases in our lives, and that everything will slowly shift as time passes. The cool old building we want to photograph someday might get torn down. We lose people, they leave us or pass away—and then that opportunity is gone.
And I think that’s why it is so important to take photographs as we see these opportunities come along. Of course, the practical realities of life do get in the way sometimes. Perhaps you’re seeing a gorgeous sunrise on the way to work, but you can’t stop because it’ll make you late. This happens, but there are probably many other times when you may put off photography because you’re tired or have other things pulling at your attention. These are the times to go out and take those photographs if at all possible.
If it helps, think of it as future-proofing. You got the shots before the chance was lost. Instead of someday having a thin portfolio and lots of thoughts of the “could have beens” or “should have beens,” you’ll build a collection of images proving you took opportunities as they came your way.
And another thing to think about… perhaps you’ve looked at someone who has an artistic career or does something that you think is cool. Is it by chance? It isn't. More often, you’ll find that such things result from people seizing those fleeting opportunities as they come along.
The same rationale can be applied to photography. Is it by chance that one photographer’s portfolio is filled with stunning images? Did that photographer blithely stumble across the perfect shots each time he went into the field? This is probably pretty unlikely. Moreover, photographers with these kinds of portfolios saw opportunities and took them. If we could see their archives, we’d probably be amazed by the sheer number and variety of images that didn’t cut, each one an opportunity that the photographer saw potential in, all contributing to the body of work he has carefully created.
Never assume that things will await you whenever you are ready. Sometimes, we’re proven wrong when those things disappear—and then the opportunity to create new photographs and to improve ourselves as artists is lost.
Now go and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation through your lens.
