You Ready for Lady Luck?

by Stanley LearyPhotography

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Roman philosopher Seneca

And while many people agree that luck does create some level of opportunity – a chance meeting that leads to a job interview or a boss quitting unexpectedly, opening a path to a fast-tracked promotion – nothing enables greater career success than working harder and caring more.

[NIKON D3, 24.0-120.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Manual, ISO 500, 1/200, ƒ/7.1, (35mm = 66)]

I relate career success to success in sports careers, and it is the same recipe for success: the harder you train, the more hours you put in, and the more you care about winning, the better you will become.

Fledgling Red-Tailed Hawk in our Backyard. Every year we get a new nest. [NIKON D5, Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports + Sigma 2.0x Teleconverter TC-2001, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 2500, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 600)]

Getting these photos of Hawks means I must have a camera ready when the opportunity presents itself. You can make a photo with your phone, but the hawks would have been just specs within the frame. I had to use long lenses to capture these photos.

Red-Tailed Hawk in our Backyard in Roswell, GA. [NIKON Z 6, AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 3200, 1/1000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 300)]

As I write this I am looking out my sliding glass door in my basement office. I see the Red-tailed juvenile hawks flying by and occasionally landing to hunt.

My Nikon Z6 with a 28-300mm lens is beside me. I went outside and already got a custom white balance. I am prepared and just need the opportunity.

[NIKON D3, 24.0-120.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Manual, ISO 500, 1/200, ƒ/7.1, (35mm = 65)]

What things are you doing today to be sure that if Lady Luck presents herself will you be ready? Are you prepared?

What can I work on today to be even more ready for finding customers?