I struggled with this challenge. Come to think of it, I’ve written that same sentence with regards to a few of these challenges and I’ve not even been doing them all that long. In many respects, I think mine is an appropriate reaction — it is a challenge, after all…
My first photography teacher (Dad) always told me:
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.*
Preparedness, he taught, meant:
- Allowing plenty of time for the outing; and
- researching your location; and
- researching the target animal — are they diurnal or crepuscular; and
- planning which camera and lens/lenses would best suit that location and the targeted animal; and
- packing everything you might need (chair, pencil and paper, phone, beverage, hat, tripod — but no non-essentials; and
- upon arrival, quietly (Don’t always be babbling away!), and with as little fuss as possible, walk slowly to, and set up at, the chosen location; and
- settle quietly (Stop fidgeting!) and have lots of patience ’til your critter makes its appearance.
Leave nothing to chance — luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity!
He wasn’t wrong, but…
There are always surprises, sometimes even at every turn. One such lucky and completely unexpected encounter came close to the noon hour one day whilst leaning out over the marsh at Presqu’ile Provincial Park. As usual, I was on the prowl for amphibians and reptiles but, to my astonishment, a Mink clambered out of the water, right in front of me, not eight feet away. He looked at me a good few seconds and then went about the business of fishing for his lunch.
Meet Manfred:
Native to North America, the American Mink is a carnivore that feeds on anything it can catch — rodents, fish, frogs, etc. They live in semi-aquatic terrain, so they love the marsh at Presqu’ile.
After sizing me up and eliminating me as either a prospective meal or a threat, young Manny went about his business. He made his way through the winter-matted reeds and some springtime vegetation to the water below and, not ten seconds later (no exaggeration, promise!), he emerged with a small fish.
With a healthy appetite and some very sharp teeth, Manny demolished that first fish in less than a minute.
Yum! Lip-smacking goodness!
After another quick glance at me (I think, to check that I was paying attention and sufficiently admiring his prowess), Manny scurried back down through the reeds to the water and, again in less than ten seconds (yes, truly, seconds), popped up with another fish.
Enthralled, I stayed for a good half hour throughout which Manny repeated the routine, catching and eating fish after fish. What made this interlude, and the hundred or so images I took “lucky shots” is that Minks are crepuscular and this was midday.
Many thanks to the oh-so-talented Sofia for devising this week’s challenge. I admire her work and have learned a lot from observing her images. I strongly recommend you take a moment to visit her blog, read her interesting narrative and admire her exquisite images, you’ll be glad you did — promise:
Lens-Artists Challenge #393 – Lucky Shot
’Til next time, y’all…
*’Though most frequently attributed to Seneca, scholars believe this quote to be a florilegium of ideas expressed by the Stoics, chiefly Seneca, Epictetus, Aurelius, Zeno and Chrysippus. So, not Daddy, then…
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