If the 3 R’s are the cornerstone of education (yes I am dating myself by admitting I know what the 3 R’s are) then the 3 P’s are their equivalent in photography. No, there is no formula to the 3 P’s… no wild theories. Simply stated the 3 P’s are Practice, Patience and Persistence.

In photography I think I have practice and persistence covered, however; I need a lot of work in the patience department. To utilize a new photography technique learned at a workshop, you need to employ the 3 P’s. If you identify an area of your photography that needs work, the 3 P’s will help.

When it comes to nature and wildlife, patience is one of the most important virtues in order to be a successful photographer. No matter how much we want the perfect shot, animals and the weather don’t always cooperate. For me, installing a series of bird feeders on my property and using them to practice my patience (pun intended) has helped me tremendously in this regard.

Another area of my photography that consistently needs work is hand holding. Strange thing for someone taking pictures for 30 years to need to work on you might think. I have spent the last 23 years working behind a desk. The muscles, movements and techniques needed to hand hold a big lens need to be practiced regularly.

I also regularly practice digital darkroom techniques. The technology side of this art is changing all the time and accepting this change is necessary to compete and improve. As I spend more time trying to improve my craft, my appreciation grows for the amount of effort necessary to be good at photography. I have often been frustrated by the uneven improvement in my photography, but now realize it is part of normal progression. Like any job, what you put into it is what you get out and photography takes a great deal of effort. It makes me realize that this is not a hobby, passion or art form that is easily perfected. It simply means that I need to continue employing the 3 P’s.