Pro Photo Tips by Michele Sons

The Power of Persistence (with a Proviso)

By Michele Sons

One of the things I love most about the practice of landscape photography is that it offers us many valuable lessons—lessons that can elevate our work as well as transcend our practices and be applied in our day to day lives. Patience or persistence is one of the most important lessons, in my opinion, so I wanted to share this story about how being persistent paid off for me in a particular instance.

I made the first image below in 2015 in the highlands of West Virginia. I fell in love with the composition as well as the foggy conditions, but felt I could improve the image by returning when the bushes were at peak color to capture the burning red tones in place of the orangey reds of the earlier season in the original image. Between not noting the location of the composition, and failing to encounter the specific combination of peak color and foggy conditions, I was not able to achieve this vision for 7 years! But eventually, with persistence, everything came together in 2022—I found the spot at peak color and in foggy conditions and I was able to make the second image below, the image I envisioned.

But that’s not the end of the story! During those 7 years spent seeking, I made many more gorgeous images of this place, specifically because I remained open to what was presented and not solely focused on what I was seeking. This combination of being open whilst also seeking can be powerful for photographers, allowing us to nurture our connection to a landscape, build our knowledge, and take full advantage of the time it may take to achieve our vision. Persistence can be the key to making exceptional work – by achieving a vision, yes, but also by offering us the opportunity to connect with a place and see it in new ways.