Photography – Luck, Skill, Timing – Sometimes, It’s All Three

Cat By Dog Sign

As a professional photographer, it's nice to have skill because much of my paid work is based on years of experience and obtaining skills over those years. However, in some shots, like the one to the right, luck and timing should be heavily factored in.

My wife and I were walking around the marina while on vacation. I had my iPhone with me and my wife had her Sony HX50V with her. The cat on the right laid down just behind this sign, so I decided to break out the best camera that we had with us which was the Sony HX50V which is currently around $300 on Amazon. The cat came up to my wife then walked around the sign. We all know cats love to rub against things and I managed to capture this snobby look while the cat was rubbing against the sign.

It's both luck and timing that helped me get this shot. What are the chances that a cat would just happen to be near a "PLEASE NO DOGS" sign? Luck!!! What are the chances that the cat would look up at the sign like you see here with kind of a snobby, nose in the air snark? Both Luck and Timing!!!

I would like to think skill was involved as well. I believe skill came into play by seeing that there was an opportunity for a cat near a "PLEASE NO DOGS" sign and the composition of the shot. However, I must admit that this shot has a lot more to do with luck and timing.

Remember, the best camera is the one that you have with you. You can constantly work on your skills to improve those no matter what your photography level. You can even work on timing but trying to catch the right moment. But timing sometimes fall under luck. Luck is just one of those things that we all know just happens sometime in life.

I do teach photography workshops in the Raleigh area as well as offering one-to-one training which can help you on the skill side of photography. You can visit this page to learn more.

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David Williams

Owner at RTP Photo and Video, Inc.

Short Bio About The Author: I'm David Williams a professional commercial photographer focusing on corporate and business clients with some personal branding, lifestyle photography in the mix. My love for photography began in late 1981 while still in High School. I started making money with his camera in 1982. Brenda, my wife, and I started working together in photography in 1988 shortly after we met. Brenda and I married in 1989 and have two adult daughters. Please be sure to get a quote for services if needed. Call or Text: 919.723.8453. Please reach out to connect with me on LinkedIn.