Serendipity ? The series that gave my photography meaning

I posted this on Instagram (@davidamoorephotography) with the short story behind it.

As I transition into a wedding photographer, you may wonder how landscape photography experience matters. I know I questioned the validity of the landscape photography skill set in the the wedding-portrait arena.

Let me be clear: you need the most talented and skilled photographer your budget can afford. But talent and skill isn't always measured by number of YEARS.

This series I call, High Rock Landing (2012), is a good example. When I took these photos and had only been using a "real camera" a few years. But during those "few years" I took thousands and thousands of photos. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS!

From the beginning, I've ALWAYS used the "Manual" setting. I had great one-on-one instruction from the start and he'd beat me if I didn't use the manual setting. That meant lots and lots of bad images. It was a very steep learning curve. But then, once that foundation is established and you understand how ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed work hand in hand, it's like magic.

But the real magic happens somewhat by serendipity. You can have all the talent and skills in the world, but if you don't put yourself in the right place, at the right time, you'll never have the opportunity to capture that one image that takes your breath away.

So the more I practice...the luckier I get.

-David