Sometimes you catch ‘em sometime you don’t.

The thing that makes an amateur fisherman keep going out to sea is not the certainty of catching fish but the possibility of catching them.

So it is with photography.

Each time I go out to take photos I am motivated that maybe today I will take the best photo I have ever taken.  As I improve my skills as a photographer I can see my ability growing and developing.   The photos I am taking today are a great improvement on my earlier attempts but I think sometimes I can put myself under pressure to bring home that perfect shot every time I go out.

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While I am always looking to bring home my best photos ever, the fact is, not every photo is going to be my best.  Not every day is going to be the best.  Sometimes the light and location just don’t come together to make that award winning shot.  Sometimes I will come home empty handed.

In the midst of this uncertainty the thing that keeps me motivated is the knowledge that the more I create opportunities to take great photos the more likely I will do so.  If I stay in bed instead of getting up for that sunrise shot I forego any chance of bringing it home.

it can be inspiring but also intimidating viewing the portfolio of great photographers.  We need to realise that they are showing us their very best.  Yes they have honed their skills so that they more consistently capture that great shot but we also need to realise that for every great shot they make public there are multitudes of others that didn’t make the grade.

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It’s a simple fact of life.  Not every photo is going to be our best.  Likewise not every time we venture out to take photos is going to yield that great shot we are striving for.  The key is learning to enjoy the experience and to keep creating opportunities to capture that great shot.

There are great photos out there where the location and light come together for a moment of magic.  We simply need to keep creating the opportunities to find them.

Greg Johnston is a hobby photographer living in Adelaide, South Australia.  He first discovered the joy of photography while on holiday in Western Australia in 2011.  One particular morning during this holiday he decided to take some photos at sunrise rather than during the middle of the day as was his previous approach and it was a turning point in his approach to photography.  He could not believe the difference that the morning light made to his photos.  What had previously been typical holiday snapshots were now filled with colour, mood and atmosphere that  had not been expected.  He discovered that photography is not just about location but more importantly it is about the interplay of light and location and since that morning he has been chasing the light as it transforms each location.