I’m pretty sure I’m not the only kid who was told this by their mom’s growing up. I’ve always thought though of this phrase in a totally different way other then arguments between siblings. It’s a phrase that holds a different meaning for me now. Basically that we’re not alone in our pursuits, that’s a good thing. But it goes beyond even that.
It takes two, photographic tools, a camera body and lens. Without the perfect marriage of camera body and lens, what it we see is not what we’ll be able to capture and more importantly communicate to others. Like so many elements in photography, this very obvious necessity is still one not always obtained by most photographers. They’re out there waiting for each and everyone of us, we just have to find the right combo for ourselves.
It takes two, film and vision to bring full color to our communication. Whether you’re shooting conventional or digital, color is a critical part of our vision and communication. Our use of color is greatly influenced by the film we select of the white balance we dial in. Without the right combination of film and vision, we aren’t successful in our pursuits. This seemingly insequential part of photography is the cornerstone of how we grab the viewers attention to our image. The combination is a mighty powerful tool to communicate!
It takes two, shutter speed and aperture to bring light to our vision. The one curse many feel them have in photography, exposure which is controlled by the combination of shutter speed and aperture is actually one of our greatest blessing! Hardly thought of as a tool for communicating, exposure and how we choose to use it brings drama to our images! The slightest change to the plus or minus of either shutter speed or aperture can completely change what we say photographically. Yeah, it can also mess you up so you don’t get the image at all, but that’s not their fault. Exposure is the mortar that holds together all the rest of the bricks in our constructing of an image. Exposure is not a four letter word but rather the union of science and art into a single moment of time!
It takes two, time and money to give life to our passions. This is the one fact of wildlife photography I wish I could change as it is such a limiting factor for us all. But this is one fact of life that’s carved in granite when it comes to wildlife photography. But it’s not one you can let get you down! Being resourceful is an important attribute of a wildlife photographer. Shooting in your own backyard, borrowing the lens of a friend, there are ways to make photography happen when either one or both of these two realities gets in your way!
It takes two, the most important of all, it takes you and the wildlife! We are a very fortunate and blessed group of individuals! We have a unique passion to explore our wild world with our cameras permitting us to discover and communicate what we experience with others. We all too often tend to take for granted this blessing. It is so important that during these times, we don’t forget our subjects, the wildlife and those places they call home. Taking a moment to make sure they are protected so they are present when we want to photograph them is all so important. We inheritated a grandeur that is like no other gift. We owe it to the wildlife photographer who come after us the opportunity to find the same enjoyment and rewards as we’ve been able to treasure.
Never loose site that in wildlife photography, it takes two and to save it for future generations, it takes us all!