No doubt we were all raised to believe that being dissatisfied is a poor character trait, and in most aspects of life it generally is. However in photography I find that there can be an up-side to this otherwise flawed behavior. I don’t mean to imply that there is any benefit to sulking around with an unhappy demeanor on one’s face, (in fact, quite the opposite). If you’ve been around someone that constantly complains it’s far from pleasant, and frankly quite exhausting. I’m certain that negativity has never improved my photographic results. Clearly I’m not campaigning for a bunch of photographers walking around with bad attitudes. The beneficial spirit of dissatisfaction originates from a desire to constantly produce better images.
One of the surest ways to stagnate your growth as a photographer is becoming complacent. Being willing to call a shot ‘good enough’ will never create exceptional photographs. I am constantly trying to push myself to ensure that the next time the shutter clicks I’m producing a better result than the last. This is easier said than done, and it certainly isn’t always accomplished. However, this ‘dissatisfaction’ and constant striving for improvement on even my best shots, is the driving force behind the finest images in my portfolio. While there are undoubtedly a handful of winning images that are the result of dumb luck, the vast majority of them are the fruits of serious dedication to capture the key moments we marvel at in the finished results. To illustrate my point I want to share with you a series of photos that document the process I went through to get my final photograph.
During my recent photo tour in Costa Rica our group was busy photographing hummingbirds when a Pale-billed Woodpecker flew to one of the nearby trees and started to make it’s way around the trunk. At any time during the following sequence I could have stopped and just been content with the shots I’d captured, (honestly I was giddy with excitement at just seeing this new bird so close!). However, the photos that follow chronicle my pursuit of a cleaner, higher quality image of the bird as it moved around the tree.
When it first arrived it landed in the shade. There wasn’t any light on the woodpecker and the bright trunk of a tree in the background created a distracting back drop for my subject. Branches in the foreground also caused some distracting bokeh. Nevertheless, since this was a new species for me I started shooting in case this was the only opportunity I got.
The woodpecker slowly worked its way around the tree and gave me a silly pose, but I was still not getting the sunlight on my subject that I wanted. The thick foliage in the foreground and background was still being troublesome, so I kept my eye glued to the viewfinder and waited for another opportunity.
After this next photo I could have set down my camera, patted myself on the back and said, good job! The bird had finally moved up into the sunlight and I had no distracting foreground elements to contend with anymore. Honestly if this had been the final frame I captured of this woodpecker I would have been pretty pleased with the results. But I held on and waited to see what would happen.
Just when things seemed to be developing in my favor the large bird again moved to the shady side of the tree. I now was getting glimpses of a much cleaner background, but the leaves in the foreground were again causing problems.
I had begun to think that I’d already captured the best image from this session when the massive woodpecker moved up into the sunlight again. Finally there was no foliage obstructing my view in front and the background was clear of all distractions, beautifully lit by the afternoon sun. Almost on cue the bird began pecking the tree vigorously and I captured this frame with the bird in the light, its crest fully displayed and its tongue out.
The lead image in this post was captured following a similar game of cat-and-mouse with the subject. After the woodpecker flew to another tree I waited until it came around the trunk and was facing me head-on. A narrow depth of field aided me in producing a striking, almost comical expression.
It goes without saying that as photographers we are our own worst critics. After a day in the field while looking over my RAW files, I’m guilty of dwelling on the images that I didn’t capture, rather than focusing on the ones that I did. However it’s this hunger for perfection in my work that lifts my photography to the next level.
The only thing I didn’t see during this session was the Pale-billed Woodpecker with a larvae or beetle on the end of its tongue, but that will have to wait for another day. Until then I’ll be out shooting with a smile on my face and a spirit of dissatisfaction in my heart.
Your thoughts and comments are always welcome
~ Nathaniel
Image Data:
Nikon D850 & 180-400mm Lens
Iso 2500 | f-6.3 | @ 1/800th Sec.
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