Any nature photographer worth their salt will admit that luck plays an important role in their process. Don’t get me wrong, planning, knowledge of your subject, decent gear, practice, and a good eye are even more important, but none of those will help you if you’re not in the right place at the right time. This image that I shot of my first northern parula (Setophaga americana) is a great example. I was outside doing some yard work when I heard bird song. It was a song that I wasn’t familiar with and at first, I didn’t pay it any attention. I guess I was focused on what I was doing. Eventually, when it was right over my head, I looked up to see this gorgeous little bird perched right in front of me. Since I wasn’t outside for photography, of course I didn’t have my camera with me, but I did have my phone. I pulled it out and did the best I could with it. Luckily, the bird wasn’t far from me and some of the shots actually turned out pretty well. In fact, this one has turned into one of my best sellers, especially on my coasters. This whole encounter was one of pure luck. It was lucky I was outside when the bird was around. It was lucky that it was persistent in its singing and finally caught my attention, and it was lucky that I was carrying my phone. Since then, I have learned a lot more about these wonderful birds, including recognizing their song. I know where to look for them and what to expect as far as their behavior goes. I’ve photographed them many more times since then on planned birding excursions with my normal gear, and although I’ve definitely gotten some good shots, none of them are any better than my very first lucky shot. What are your thoughts about luck as part of nature photography and as a part of art in general?