This morning I decided to practice photographing wood ducks in the pond with my Canon 100-400 mm lens and 1.4X extender. My first photos were awful. None of the fast moving ducks I photographed were quite in focus. I fiddled with my lens and my camera menu selections thinking that either my lens was not focusing correctly or my settings were incorrect. Then I took more photos and still had out of focus ducks. Finally I remembered, that instead of using aperture priority—which gives priority to the depth of field I set—I needed to use shutter priority—which gives priority to the shutter speed I set.
Once I selected shutter priority and increased my shutter speed I was able to easily get in-focus ducks swimming on the pond. The whole experience was another reminder of
The Power of Practice
to keep my skills sharp. Over the winter most of my photography was still objects where aperture priority makes perfect sense. But for moving objects a different set of skills and priorities is needed.
It’s not just photographers who can benefit from the power of practice. I think everyone can benefit from regular practice that stretches them to learn more.
I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each, it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of one’s being, a satisfaction of spirit. One becomes, in some area, an athlete of God. Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.
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Beyond the satisfaction I got from finally being able to make sharp images of the ducks on the pond, I felt like I was exercising mental muscles that I rarely use. We all need variety and challenge in our lives.
It’s much easier for me to exercise mental muscles than physical muscles. But I have learned that both are necessary, especially as I age.
An ounce of practice is generally worth more than a ton of theory.”
― Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics as if People Mattered
What areas in your life could benefit from the power of practice?
May you walk in beauty.
Note: Lots of practice photographing ducks today.
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