"...the one that our mate took"... precisely why I am alone most of the time while photographing. That was a very good collection....

For me, the perfect shot is the one when where I had this moment of "yes!" when I was out in the field. This moment of joy and play and exhilaration. The one I take with the wind in my face, the one when my eyes see something otherworldly, something unexpected, the one I make being fully in the moment. I don't know what the perfect shot might look like because the "perfect" happens in my mind - the shot is just a by-product. I own an old rangefinder camera (which I never use, I must admit) where you have to perfectly align two overlapping parts of the image in the viewfinder to focus. It's a bit like that - when heart and mind align with place - something very fulfilling is happening. If that's the perfect shot - I don't know. Thank you so much for this thought-provoking video!

“The one that my mate took” reminds me of a spoof impersonation of the famous racing commentator, the late and great Peter O’Sullivan, “And in the final furlong it’s the bastard I didn’t back followed by the other bastard I didn’t back and the other bastard I didn’t back….”’etc. Some super images. You have some there with the longer shutter speeds where you have got atmosphere and balanced perfectly with maintaining the movement and flow, which resonate with me. There are also a few with the quicker shutter speeds I also like. They are less atmospheric and have a sense of urgency about them. They somehow make me feel more alert this morning. I think there are also a few of the more panoramic crops I really like. I am going to be staying in Eastbourne in the second half of next week - a totally different coast to anything in Lewis, but seeing some seascape photography is getting me excited for next week. Debussy completed La Mer after staying in Eastbourne, so I’m hoping to channel my inner Debussy and inner Alister for inspiration next week.

Thank you ever so much again, Alister, for sharing your thoughts on the „perfect image“ and all these fine images! Yours seems to me a perfect approach…

Nice conversation. Wise and important points related to image capture and 'creation'. I do enjoy the final image you started processing. I agree with Ed - photographing alone seems to create a more satisfying outcome. No fish is bigger than the 'one that got away'! Cheers!

I like how you go through your thought process. Very illuminating!😊

Thank you, Alister, that's a careful process which leads to great images. I particularly tend not to process the images too quickly after taking them. I usually get too excited and make poor choices and decisions. I do prefer to look back at them several days (even weeks) later, and the results are often of better quality. Cheers!

Just editing some photos for a retrospective - totally agree how we see the same image differently from the day it was taken as time goes on. Another advantage is software continues to improve for RAW processing, which adds another level. Thanks for this and all your videos!

Another fantastic teaching video, Alister! Many thanks!

Can’t be said enough; your way of teaching and talking about photography and photos is lovely to listen too. I will miss the EPF, but looking forward to what’s coming next on this channel and what else might happen 😊 Kjell

Nice collection of shots and some great advice there, thanks

Thank you Alister for sharing your thinking process that obviously took time to compose 18 alternatives. I like the idea of widdling down the look and feel of a composition vs taking one shot and moving on. This is something I need to work on. Cheers!

Great comments. The sharp jagged rocks were captured very sharply. The variabilities of a given scene were demonstrated. I tend to agree with your one thought, the shot I didn't take is often my favorite.

What a good exercise! The whole process reminds me of manual focus. You go this way and then that, all the time seeking the point of clarity that resonates with us. But sometimes we might wonder if we are at the true apex of clarity!

Some great insights and thoughts & images as always😂 Anthony

Very inspiring, thank you Alister. As your book, Out of Darkness, recently received 🙏🏻

I once heard a wise man (not myself!) say: perfection is not a point - its a direction. Which means that we can only aim for but never reach it. Which is probably all the better; once you reach perfection you're done. Thanks for taking us into your thought process: it gives me some more confidence about my own photography! .. (Btw: why is everyone always talking about shutterspeed instead of exposure time?)

When you'd like the one your mate took, they'd probably say the same about one you took, we're a fickle lot! Perfect, shmerfect, yada yada, I'm sure it was on KZfaq I heard wise words before, I can't remember who, maybe Gibbs or someone, "shoot what you see, what catches your eye!" What could be more perfect!? :-)

I'm not convinced to talk about a "perfect shot". Perhaps to the photographer himself who took it... but as we know, photography is subjective, so what is perfect for one person may be different for another when they look at the same photo. Regards.