Click here to view our Galleries Over the years, I’ve learned that one of the biggest mistakes a photographer can make isn’t taking too many photographs.

It’s thinking you can always take one more later.

I’ve said it to myself countless times.

I already have that shot.

I’ll wait for a better pose.

The light will probably be better in a few minutes.

I’ll come back another day.

Sometimes, those decisions work out.

And sometimes, the moment disappears forever.

You never really know when the moment will end.

This is something I’ve learned especially through wildlife photography.

Wildlife doesn't care about your composition. It doesn't wait for you to change your settings. It doesn't give you a second chance because you weren't quite ready.

You can spend an entire morning watching a bird, waiting patiently for that one special moment. Then, suddenly, everything happens at once.

The bird turns its head.

The light catches its eye.

The wings lift.

The expression changes.

And for just a fraction of a second, you have the photograph you've been waiting for.

Or you don't.

Maybe you hesitated.

Maybe you thought, I'll get it next time.

But there may not be a next time.

That realization has changed the way I approach nature photography.

Take the photograph.

I've become a firm believer in taking the photograph when the opportunity presents itself.

Take the first one.

Then take another.

And if something is happening that feels special, keep photographing.

Change your composition. Try a different perspective. Shoot vertically and horizontally. Watch the background. Watch the light. Keep your finger on the shutter.

Because you can always decide later that you took too many photographs.

You can delete them.

You can edit them.

You can sort through them and keep only the ones that matter.

What you can't do is go back in time and capture a moment you decided wasn't worth photographing.

The photograph you didn't take?

Every photographer probably has one.

A photograph they remember seeing but didn't take.

Maybe it was a beautiful sunset.

A fleeting expression.

A bird doing something unusual.

A beautiful animal encounter.

A moment between people.

A particular quality of light that lasted only a few minutes.

You remember it clearly because, in your mind, you can still see the photograph.

But you don't have it.

I've learned that those missed photographs can be some of the most valuable lessons.

They remind us to be ready.

They remind us to pay attention.

And most importantly, they remind us that photography is about recognizing a moment before it's gone.

It's not about taking every photograph.

This isn't an argument for simply holding down the shutter and hoping something good comes out of it.

Good photography still requires patience, intention, and observation.

The goal isn't to photograph everything.

It's to recognize when something is worth photographing—and then not hesitate.

There are times when I'll take dozens of images of the same subject. Maybe only one or two will ultimately make it through my editing process.

That's perfectly fine.

Digital photography gives us the freedom to experiment.

It allows us to photograph the unexpected.

And sometimes that seemingly insignificant extra frame becomes the photograph that stops you in your tracks when you see it on your computer later.

Sometimes the extra frame is the one.

I've had moments when I thought I was finished.

The photograph was there. The composition was good. The moment seemed complete.

But I stayed.

I watched a little longer.

And then something changed.

The subject moved into better light.

The expression changed.

The wings opened.

The interaction I hadn't anticipated happened.

And suddenly, the photograph I thought I had finished taking became something completely different.

That's why I try not to be too quick to put the camera away.

There is always the possibility that the next second will bring something you couldn't have planned.

Don't assume there will be a tomorrow.

Perhaps the most important lesson photography has taught me is that we don't get to control how long a moment lasts.

The animal may move on.

The weather may change.

The light may disappear.

The opportunity may never present itself again.

And that's true whether you're photographing wildlife, nature, people, places, or the everyday moments of life.

So when you're standing there with your camera and something catches your attention, don't immediately tell yourself you'll photograph it later.

Take the photograph.

Then take one more.

Because the biggest mistake isn't taking too many photos.

It's believing you'll always have another opportunity.

Sometimes the photograph you take almost becomes the photograph you treasure most.

And sometimes, the photograph you don't take is the one you remember forever.