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Not Every Shot, Every Time

How I Learned to Balance Camera Gear with Experience

Derrick Story
Live View
7 min readJan 21, 2025

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Woman at stand in San Ramon, Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a tapestry of culture, countryside, and wildlife. Trying to capture it all can humble even the most talented photographer.

Over the course of two visits, I’ve learned many lessons. The most important is: I’m not going to get every shot, every time. Here’s how I became comfortable with that, and how it can help your photography too.

Day 1 — Arrival in Costa Rica

Twelve of us boarded a white Sprinter van at the Doubletree in San Jose, Costa Rica. Large suitcases were loaded through an open window in the back. The driver was inside receiving the luggage and organizing it in the rear compartment. We were outside, heaving it up to him. I was amazed at how heavy some of the camera bags were.

I began to wonder, “Have I brought a knife to a gunfight?” My working brand is “The Nimble Photographer.” I pride myself on traveling light and still getting the shot. I was tackling Costa Rica with just a carry-on suitcase and a gear backpack. Others must have noticed my two small bags and surmised, “He’s not going to make it.”

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Live View
Live View

Published in Live View

If we were to sum up Live View in one word, it would be passion. Our writers are here because they want to share articles about topics that inspire them. This is the space to explore their discoveries. Contact Derrick at dstory@gmail to be a contributor.

Derrick Story
Derrick Story

Written by Derrick Story

Photographer, writer, podcaster — www.thedigitalstory.com — Editor of "Live View" on Medium.com.

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