Well, maybe it’s a bit of an overstatement that one image inspired me to stick with photography for 36 years and counting, but like anyone who has ever gotten their first birdie or caught their first fish, having one “really good” shot can do wonders for the desire to keep trying. For me, it was this image. Looking at it now, I am little underwhelmed. I have certainly taken better air show images since then, but this was the first one that I remember looking at and saying, “Wow!”
The Blue Angel Diamond Formation taken at Marine Air Corps Station Cherry Point, Spring 1984.
I can still remember seeing it for the first time. I was traveling to the beach with some friends and was popping slides in and out of a small, battery operated viewer, feeling disappointed about my lack of results and then I saw this one. I was thrilled to say the least.
These days I just pass by another shot of the Blue Angel Diamond. With a 500mm lens and 9 frames per second, I expect to see good shots of such a pass, like the one shown here at the 2018 MCAS Cherry Point
2018 Blue Angel Diamond, MCAS Cherry Point
air show. The 2018 image is superior to the one taken 34 years earlier in every way. Technology, better optics, and perhaps a little skill obtained over that period make a huge difference. Getting a good shot is still a thrill, but I don’t think anything will ever top that first one!
I had misplaced the original slide for many years and recently went on two day quest to find it. Ironically, I found in a box marked “Special!” with asterisks all over it. Who would have ever thought to look in there!?! Fortunately, that quest lead to finding many long forgotten images that I am now scanning and restoring, starting with the one above.
By mid-1984, I had been actively pursuing photography for about 4 years. I was learning the fundamentals, but was never really excited about the results until this one. I have known plenty of people that have entered the hobby enthusiastically, only to give up after achieving results lower than their expectations. Just because your images may not look like those in National Geographic (mine certainly don’t!), doesn’t mean that they are not good or even great. Keep firing away, learning as you go, and eventually you will get the one!