They’re Worth a Thousand Words.

Someone—I forget who—once said if he had to choose between luck and skill, he would pick luck every time.  

That same idea was shared by a good friend of mine who was a very successful professional photographer. He once told me the secret to his success was that he took a lot of pictures. 

“Even a blind hog finds an acorn sometimes,” he said.

When it comes to photography, I am living proof that if you keep on paying attention, every so often you’ll score. It’s not talent; it’s luck. Here’s a great example.

Several years ago, my wife and I took a trip to the Grand Canyon and drove through three or four other national parks before heading home. One was Monument Valley, which is where my wife says I snapped this photo. Frankly, I’m not sure where it was, but it proves the point about luck vs. skill.

The truth is, I noticed the horse and rider, stopped the car, grabbed my camera, focused frantically and snapped one shot.  Not five seconds later, the rider turned his horse and disappeared.

I’ve included this photo in my new book, Travel Tales, although it’s in black-and-white in the book.

Anyway, it’s a nice shot.