Nikon D3s, 28-300mm, ISO 400, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000 |
“It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.”
The Army’s Airborne School has training before you jump out of the plane with a parachute.
Photographers would do well to learn a few things from the military in how they approach their jobs.
Nikon D3s, 28-300mm, ISO 400, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000 |
When you come out of the plane, many things can go wrong. On one of my son’s jumps, the carabiner came loose from the parachute; he quickly grabbed the parachute and held on tight. He knew the alternative is a smaller backup parachute where you come in much faster and more prone to injury during landing.
Training had alerted him to the process and what to be aware of when he jumped.
Nikon D3s, 28-300mm, ISO 400, ƒ/5.6, 1/2000 |
To have the parachute open properly and be prepared to land on almost any type of terrain below requires preparation.
It amazes me how much training is involved before our armed forces go off to perform their duty in a “combat” situation.
Nikon D3s, 28-300mm, ISO 200, ƒ/5.6, 1/800 |
When they are not actively training, a lot of waiting is involved.
Tips from the military for the photographer
- Spend a lot of time getting to know your gear
- Practice shooting assignments that are similar to those you will do for “real” later
- Stay fit by eating right and exercising. Of course, it would help if you had physical stamina for those long day assignments.
- Expand your skills. Like military personnel will go for more specialized training, you must also continue to add more skills to make you valuable.
- Military Camaraderie – Nothing in the civilian workforce can approximate the bonding that occurs in the wardroom, ready room, or foxhole. Military personnel in those environments endure much hardship – long hours, stressful working conditions, danger to personal safety, separation from loved ones, and more. However, they get through it because they are all in it together. This mutual self-sacrifice, teamwork, and covering each other’s six contribute to individual bonding, unit cohesion, and, ultimately, the camaraderie in question. See your competition more as your colleagues rather than just competition.
- Military personnel understands how lack of preparation can cost their lives and those around them. Likewise, the lack of preparation for the photographer will cost them their careers.