“If” is a deceptively small word. Just two letters — yet it carries a world of possibility.
In photography, “if” shows up constantly.
- If I had just moved three feet to the left…
- If I remembered to check the ISO…
- If the bird had stayed put for one more second…
You know the drill.
But “if” is also why I keep coming back. It’s the word that nudges me to try something new:
- What if I shoot into the light this time?
- What if I bump up the shutter speed and catch those wings mid-flap?
- What if I hike the extra mile, wait the extra hour, try the unfamiliar lens?
That whisper of possibility keeps me going.
I wouldn’t call myself an expert — more like bonafide hopeful.
Hopeful that I’ll capture that one perfect frame.
Hopeful that I’ll learn something new each time I press the shutter.
Hopeful that all the “what ifs” will eventually lead to something beautiful.
Someone once told me I was an optimist, though I didn’t realize it. I was pointing out fish on a depth finder and said, “Look, those upside-down smiles are fish.” They laughed and said, “You mean frowns?” But I meant what I said. I see the world that way. Many photographers do. We chase light, moments, and meaning because we believe they’re out there — waiting.
This morning, I went down to the Narrow River in Narragansett, RI. My plan was simple: photograph the Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) blooming along the marsh. They’re everywhere this time of year — pink petals glowing against the cattails.
After a few shots, I decided to wander. No real plan. Just a what if.
At first, nothing special — gulls, blackbirds, the occasional rabbit. Then, as I rounded a bend toward the mudflats, I stopped cold.
A magnificent Great Blue Heron stood motionless in the grass, a statue of grace and patience. Hunting. Waiting. Perfectly still in the morning light. It was the kind of sight that makes you forget to breathe. And in that stillness, the “what if” became the “there it is.”
Moral of the story:
“If” can lead you to doubt — or it can lead you to wonder. Choose wonder.
What if the next photo is the one that surprises you?
What if hopeful is exactly where the magic lives?
Click. Adjust. Try again.
That’s where the joy is.
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