The First Rule of Photography

The first rule of photography is Have Your Camera.

It does not matter whether you have a $30 discount store close-out or a top-of-the-line professional setup, it won't do you any good sitting on the desk at home. I was reminded of this when Brighton and I went for our walk this morning. It was just after sunrise when we went out and we were only going to loop around our block.


Brighton, as is her sacred duty, was patrolling for cats and looking for a good bush to pee on (she's a terrier) while I was listening to the birds and enjoying the relative cool of an Arizona desert morning. As we reached the corner, the sun was shining straight down the street to spotlight a giant sunflower in full bloom. Perched on top of the blossom itself was a Peach-faced Lovebird, and the sun made its feathers glow green and blue. The house and bushes behind were still in shadow so it would have made a fantastic shot.

My cameras, however, were all safely back at the house...

By contrast, I had my small Sony with me when I drove past a group of the lovebirds balanced on some ocotillo branches. Those, I did get a shot of and I'll post the best of those as soon as I get them out of the camera.

The camera in hand is, in the end, worth the birds in the bush...