Photography Is About the Adventure

A couple of months ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to take my son, Micah, on a whale watching tour. Micah's dream is to be a marine biologist and photographer, and whales are one of his favorite ocean creatures. This father/son experience was particularly special to me because, as a middle child myself, I know how important it is for me, as a dad, to spend quality one-on-one time with my middle son. 

We both had some pretty big expectations as we set off early that morning. Micah wanted to see as many whales breaching as possible. I was hoping to capture some epic whale photos to add to my ocean animal photo library.

The Adventure

I usually use Nikon macro lenses to shoot my floral photos. So for this adventure, I rented a Nikon 100-400mm zoom from Pro Camera Hawaii. A fantastic lens that I hope to add to my collection one day, and a wonderful local shop...visit them if you can! 

As we prepared to launch on the Star of Honolulu, Micah and I talked about what animals we hoped to see and how amazing it is to live in such a beautiful place. Thankfully Micah has his sea legs, and he enjoyed the ride from the harbor to the open ocean. As we were anticipating what our adventure would reveal, I was reminded that the joy of photography is really in the adventure - the path we travel to find that epic shot and those with whom we share that adventure.

If you are starting your photography journey like Micah, you will learn that photography requires a great deal of patience and observation. There is so much that happens before the epic shot is captured. Some of it is timing, some of it is providence, and some of it is skill and preparation. And much of photography is enjoying the process and learning from shots that didn't quite make the cut. 

Lessons Learned

As you can probably guess, we didn't get our epic whale shots. We saw a few whales cruising around and lots of birds. But this adventure was so worthwhile in so many ways. Micah's heart was so full of joy, and the experience only heightened his desire to pursue his dreams. As a dad, I treasured the opportunity to explore with my son and share with him my love of photography. And we both were reminded that we can't control nature. The animals come and go as they please, and the weather sometimes doesn't cooperate; but in it all, we can enjoy the ride and still find blessings in the process. 

This trip was definitely not a disappointment. I would totally recommend taking this amazing tour. If anything, not getting the views that we were hoping for only fueled our desires to keep exploring and searching for that epic moment.

So go out and explore...soak in the beauty of creation...take a loved one or friend along with you...and enjoy the process because that is where the true adventure lies. 

~David

Manu-o-Kū (White Fairy Tern)

While on our adventure, I was blessed with the opportunity to capture these majestic birds! You can find this print as a notecard and fine art print in our shop!

To learn more about this spectacular bird visit the Honolulu Zoo's website.