There are times when all the practice finally pays off. All the travel. The expense. All the years of shooting live action events, sports, weddings, birds and wildlife. This is one of those moments.
My wife and I were out, on a very bright day, hiking a local conservation area. We had stopped to sit on a bench and relax, enjoying the wind-driven waves coming off Lake Erie. I was getting random shots of the waves crashing on the beach when my wife called out excitedly, “Look!” I followed her pointing arm, which was aimed directly upward at a fast-moving Turkey Vulture overhead. And in one smooth motion I raised the camera, framed the bird, focused, and took the shot.
Pure reaction. Instinctive. Years of dodging flying wrestlers and midair footballers and flying bouquets and still getting the shot every time, all came together in one fluid motion. Practice paid off.
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