When I manage to make a photograph that is pleasing to my eye, for whatever reason, and I sit and admire its tones, textures, shapes, forms, use of light and all the rest of the gubbins then often a sobering thought will cross my mind.
A lot of the success of making a satisfying photograph is down to being in the right place, at the right time, with the right subject, in the right light, with the right film, with the right lens, in the right frame of mind and with my vision switched on. So far so good.
For some photos this may well be achieved through careful planning and preparation for others it is achieved through encounter and chance. In either case however there are still so many variable at play that there is always one very big element at work that we all need to give us the perfect decisive moment when we click the shutter release and that is the element of luck.
So whilst we all should indeed continue to strive for mastery of our craft and pursue excellence, we should be realistic and humble enough to admit that we all can benefit from a big dose of luck, sometimes good photos turn out that way despite the photographer!
As Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, "Of course it’s all luck", I wonder if he said it with a bit of wry smile playing on his face?