Tom Mason thinks it takes more than luck to get great shots
Although luck can play a massive part in photography of any genre, more often than not results are down to hard work
Success or failure brought about by chance rather than one’s actions; I think it’s fairly insulting to put people’s work down to being lucky. I mean, you wouldn’t congratulate a surgeon on a ‘lucky’ heart surgery, would you? It’s a hard-won skill that’s taken years to develop, honed and perfected, that allows success in the operating theatre, not just blind luck that it went well on the day… And as much as we might not be cutting people open on a daily basis, photography is the same in that it’s not about luck at all.
Whilst visiting the Falklands a few years back, I was living the dream. Having wanted to visit the islands for years, in order to have a chance to see the incredible array of wildlife, I was actually there. The wind blowing across the tufted vegetation, between the scree-lined valleys. Working alongside the tourist board, jumping between islands on small planes, penguins aplenty, and so much great wildlife, that still, to this very day, I remember it as one of my favourite trips, as well as a key one in my photographic career.
I only had two weeks and a heavily packed itinerary, moving on to a new location almost daily – not the way I would have chosen to shoot when looking for those perfect images, but as a professional photographer you have to be able to work both to a deadline and under pressure.
I knew that, as with all wildlife, you can’t force encounters to happen, so I’d just have to maximize my time, in order to give myself the best chance possible. I won’t lie to you, I was wrecked when I got back to the airport in Stanley for the journey home. Existing on about two or three hours’ sleep a night for the two weeks, I’d truly burnt the candle at both ends – and in the middle! The reason for my insomnia was simple, to claw back time. The more of it I could borrow from my sleep, the more I had to spend on location with the penguins!
With my time maximized it was now a simple case of effort. Getting out of bed before anyone else was around, I’d hike up to the penguins, a mass of noise from the colony a welcoming sound. Pre-dawn I’d be waiting, cameras kitted up and out of the bag ready for action. I often like to shoot with at least two camera bodies, in order to have multiple lens options at a moment’s notice, because if you spot that perfect wide shot and you need to swap lenses, it’s very likely already too late!
Put in the graft
Each day started the same: rise, hike and wait for the light, and as soon as I had it, get shooting. All day, thousands of images, trying different angles and subjects, working to the limits of my time and then bundling into the Land Rover with the team to make my next flight. Crawling around on the ground with the penguins, I got fleas three times on the trip, itching all day until a latenight shower would bring some relief. My clothes had an almighty stench, to say the least, as they were caked in penguin faeces and I only had one set to make my weight limit for the small planes! It would be a lie to say I found it a hardship though, I was in my element, viewfinder stuck to my face, sand blowing past as gentoo penguins jumped from the surf.
The effort and time was rewarding me, the early mornings and late evenings had provided some great light, combined with some super activity. I’d worked on portraits, wide angles, environmental shots and even managed an unreal image of a southern right whale during one island-hopping flight.
Hard work really came together on Caracas, where even though I had been tempted to take a few hours’ rest,
I’d hiked up a hillside to a gentoo colony with a great view off into the distance. Tired and flagging, a turkey vulture caught my eye, coming in low across the vegetation towards a returning penguin. Camera up, I fired off three frames. The second shot in the sequence becoming the front cover of the tourist board’s magazine.
I’d like to propose that luck has a rather simple equation. Luck = effort x time. The more of both effort and time you put in, without doubt your ‘luck’ will increase!
The effort and time was rewarding me, the early mornings and late evenings had provided some great light