Text and photos by Heather Cline 

Evening thunderstormSacramento National Wildlife Refuge Evening thunderstorm, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

While nature photography is not my career, it is a big part of my life and has been for over 20 years. I have poured time, money, and energy into it and at times have asked myself, "why do I keep doing this to myself?" It can be torturous and unforgiving, but every day, I learn something new and appreciate the natural world just a little bit more. 

This post is a truthful and somewhat humorous look at the reasons you might want to avoid jumping into nature photography. 

1. You like to sleep in

Sunrise is my favorite time of day to take photos. The light is low and golden, wildlife is usually active, and it's just downright peaceful. The thing about sunrise though - it happens early.

If you want to be shooting during these lighting conditions, you need to be at your location at least an hour before sunrise. You have to factor in driving and/or hiking to your destination. Do you want to have coffee or breakfast before you leave? Well, you have to factor that in as well. You could be waking up as early as 3:30 am. 

In winter, you might get to sleep in as late as 5:00 am. That's luxurious in my book. The bottom line is, if you want to catch that magical light, you are going to have to give up some precious sleep. 

On the other hand, you could just skip sunrise and only shoot at sunset. For those of us that really enjoy having the place to ourselves at the crack of dawn - I fully support that choice. 

Sunrise at Font's PointAnza Borrego Desert State Park Font's Point at sunrise, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

2. You enjoy having money in your bank account

When I was first getting into photography, I heard a joke that went like this, "Do you know how to become a millionaire as a professional nature photographer? Start with two million."

Making money as a nature photography is a tough nut to crack. But - even if you are a hobbyist like me, everything has a cost and none of it is cheap. From gear to training/education, workshops, travel, laptops, storage, computer editing software, it adds up fast. Unless you have an amazing source of income, this may require some sacrifice.

For me, photography is pretty much all I do. I don't drive a fancy car, I don't get my hair or nails done, I don't go shopping, or go out to eat. Don't get me wrong, I'm at complete peace giving up these things to do something I love and know I was meant to be doing, but if you are thinking about taking the plunge, you might need to get comfortable giving up a few things - like your money!

Sea Lions basking on the rocks Prince William Sound, Alaska Sea Lions basking on the rocks and judging you for how much you spent on your camera, Alaska

3. Patience is not your virtue

I can't tell you how many times I have stood around for hours waiting for sunset so I don't lose my spot, or invested an hour or longer standing completely still - in hopes of getting a photo of a bird or other wildlife.

I do not consider myself a patient person but nature photography has brought me a long way from where I used to be. It helps to focus on the things you can control versus those you cannot, because sometimes you will stand around and that sunset will stink, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Well - you could just use sky replacement software in post process but that is a blog for another day.  

Snowy Egret with morning catchAmerican River Parkway Snowy Egret with morning catch (after an hour of quietly pretending I was another tree on the shoreline), American River Parkway

4. You like eating at normal times

Have you noticed how the best time for photographs tends to line up with breakfast and dinner time? Being out in the field often means you will hear the sound of your stomach growling as loud as you hear the birds chirping. 

When I am planning a photo trip, I create a meal plan with the complete knowledge that I won't be eating most meals when I want to or how I want to. I might be eating dinner at 9:00 at night or scarfing down breakfast while driving on an insanely curvy road to my next location.

Over the years I have become accustomed to the odd schedule and its absolutely worth it to get a good image. It also helps to keep an emergency granola bar in my backpack - just in case. 

Vervet Monkey enjoying a snackTanzania Vervet Monkey enjoying a snack, Tanzania

5. You don't handle disappointment very well 

A couple years ago, I hiked to the rim of Coyote Gulch in Utah fully expecting to descend the sandstone and spend hours photographing in this beautiful and narrow canyon. This was the single most exciting location within a larger photo trip I had planned. I had researched and read everything I could on the canyon. There is no formal trail to the point of descent so I had to learn the landmarks ahead of time and do my best to locate them as I wandered through the open desert.

Before I could even start the hike, I had to drive on a long dirt washboard road and through deep sand, in the middle of nowhere. To say the least, I had made a significant investment in this photographic location. So when I finally arrived at that rim and realized just how steep the descent was, I was immediately crushed.

I tried multiple times to descend but I was ill prepared. So - after pacing back and forth and trying to figure out another way down, I had to start the walk of shame back to my vehicle. Suffice it to say, it was not a good day. 

My disappointment was only in myself for not being better prepared, but I didn't have time to wallow. I used the hike back to my vehicle to hold an informal retrospective so I would be better prepared next time. I then started making a plan B for sunset images. 

Nature photography is filled with disappointments. Some are of your own doing and others are completely out of your control. It makes the moments when everything works out that much sweeter. 

Toadstool Hoo Doos Toadstool Hoo Doos, Utah

6. Carrying around heavy gear is not your thing

As a nature photographer, you will inevitably build out your kit with a camera body various lenses, batteries, accessories and a tripod. The more you take, the heavier it gets. And - if you are into wildlife photography, you can count on larger and heavier lenses. I have a lens that I refer to as "Big Bertha" and she weighs over 8 pounds! 

Mirrorless cameras are smaller and lighter than DSLR's and are taking over the market, so if you own one - congratulations! If not, you can take comfort in knowing you don't have to take it all with you. In fact, over the years, I have become much more selective about what I put in my pack, especially if I am hiking a difficult and/or long trail. And - if I'm taking Big Bertha, she's usually the only lens I take. 

A good tip is to think about what you will be photographing and just bring what you need. Perhaps you don't need a backup camera or a flash or that macro lens after all. The odds of you running across that anomaly that warranted you lugging along that extra lens is pretty low. 

Mother and juvenile moose Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge Mother and juvenile moose at 700mm, Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge

7. You enjoy being comfortable 

I can look at many photos I have taken over the years and still remember how hot, cold, windy, or rainy it was when I was taking the image. The truth is, nature photography happens outdoors. I know - shocking, right? Being outdoors mean being at the mercy of mother nature and sometimes she can be a capital "B" - if you know what I mean. 

If you are going to get into nature photography, you need to get comfortable with not being comfortable. Some of this is weather but other sources of discomfort might be safety related, like wildlife, moving vehicles, or creepy dudes. There's nothing more unsettling than being out shooting the milky way at midnight on a lonely road only to have a car roll up on you. 

However, I think a lot of this can be overcome. I've learned a lot about what clothing to wear to regulate temperature and what to pack for an emergency and when to trust my gut and just walk away. As long as my discomfort is manageable, I just suck it up and keep pushing forward. And - when I'm really struggling and want to give up, I just remind myself that I'm building character. That always makes me laugh. 

Approaching storm Cape Kiwanda A very chilly morning with an approaching storm at Cape Kiwanda

This article covered all the reasons you might want to run in the opposite direction of nature photography but in truth, I can't think of a better way to gain a full appreciation of everything our natural world has to offer. If you scroll back through the images in this post, all of them highlight moments or events that humans had no hand in. That is what is so amazing to me, that many of these places and creatures have been here for millions of years, and I get to witness it - and steal a moment of it through my photographs. There's nothing better I can think of that I should be doing with my life.