Tip #95: It Might Be Your Only Chance

Steep Climb (Ovis canadensis)
Icefields Parkway - Canada
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

Is it half empty or half full? 

I won’t bore you with this tired cliche, but I do believe that the tension inherent in the question offers a photographer some pause for thought. Photography is fraught with compromise, especially when considering the stark contrasts that life has to offer. 

• Should I expose for the shadow or for the highlight?
• Do I select a slow shutter speed to convey the motion of a moment, or do I shoot it fast to stop the action?
• Could a shallow depth of field isolate my subject, or would it be best to capture the infinite space of a landscape.

Salt Lick and Grit (Ovis canadensis)
Icefields Parkway - Canada
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

While I might lack a religious conviction, I am a Taoist photographer. I see balance in nature and seek to understand the contrasts inherent in this world. I see the yang at a peak moment, and the yin as the sun begins to set. Taoist accepts the contradiction between light and shadow and sees this as a part of the whole. 

Watch for Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis)
Icefields Parkway - Canada
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

When you approach a novel subject do shoot as if you’ve reached diminishing returns or do you immerse yourself in the cornucopia of a limited opportunity. I suggest that you shoot as if every encounter might be your last, and you approach your subject from diverse perspectives. By accepting the contrasts inherent in nature, you make the most every every photographic opportunity.

About the Images: The posted photos are of Canadian bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)   captured along the Icefields Parkway and Kootenay National Park. We spent several hours with the sheep seeking to capture a diversity of perspectives and behavior.

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