Notes to Self . You Don't Tell

I am a bird photographer because I like to photograph birds. It's simple as that.

What is not simple is to take pictures of birds.

You don't tell that sometimes you come to your favorite places and there will be no birds.  It's frustrating driving for hours and returning home without photographs. 

You don't tell that you have to sit on a rocky steep shore hoping that you will not push a rock beneath you and roll down hurting yourself and your equipment.

You don't tell that in hot summer days you are surrounded by clouds of gnats knowing that you will be bitten by them. Your face will swell a little bit next day but it will heal quickly. Snakes are more dangerous than gnats. You should be very careful looking for them and try not to disturb.

You don't tell that every time you are on a desert dirt road you will be covered with dust and your car will be covered with sand. You used to that and by the way, it's better than smell of skunks. 

You don't tell that when you get 400 pictures on your lucky day (some bird photographers get up to 1000) and look at your computer screen at what you got, you will be very frustrated because only a few pictures will be strong, some will be marginal and the rest is garbage.

You don't tell that you will try to save pictures that are marginal and bring them to life but often you can't.

Is it worth being a bird photographer?  If it is your passion, if it is worth doing and doing sometimes badly the answer is yes.

And then the time comes when a heron you were watching for days suddenly lets you get close and you are extremely happy getting his portrait.