My favorite sports and activities have involved targeting and aiming in one fashion or another – disc golf, regular golf, pool, darts, bowling (even though I’m no good at it and never get many chances to bowl.) Some sports that might not pop into mind also fit this category – racquet sports, such as racquetball and ping pong, because one has to place shots, and whitewater paddling, because one lines up a perfect path through a rapid. With basketball, I was always good at making shots, but absolutely rotten at dribbling and any other ball handling.
Naturally, I have always liked guns and target shooting, even as un-PC as that might seem. It’s a control issue, albeit not a power issue. With an accurate shot, I have directed the rapid movement of a projectile from one point to where I wanted it to go. I don’t care for the weaponry aspect of guns, and would not consider one for protection. I just like hitting targets. Along the same lines, I like the stalking and targeting aspects of hunting, but have never cared for taking the life of something just for my entertainment.
I’ve found that I can get the same thrill of hunting by trading bullets for photons. Hunting birds with a telephoto lens gives me EXACTLY the same feelings I the very few times I have gone hunting. My favorite pictures have been shots of wildlife. These usually aren’t my best pictures in terms of composition, color, etc., but they are often my most satisfying.
My friend Bob did a stint in the Army as a tank commander, and both of us were fascinated with guns for awhile. He dropped by the house last night, and we talked about new camera gear. I got to thinking that my current gear is much like the weaponry he used to carry while in the Army.
- Nikon DSLR = M16 – usually nearby and ready for action.
- Nikon S1 = 9mm sidearm – almost always with me.
- camera phone = Beretta 22 caliber back-up – weapon of last resort and always available if the other two aren’t at hand.