Over the past two years, I had been a member of an active and varied photoclub of about 150 people, ranging from newbies with point-and-shoot cameras, all the way to professional photographers of various persuasions. Prior to joining the club, I knew a lot about the techniques of photography, but I really had no clue how much effort goes into making a really good photo. Since the club has frequent presentations by various professionals, we as members get to see the equipment, preparation, workflow and end-results that give these professionals their edge.
A nature photographer showed us that it takes him up to several days to set up a "simple" shot. Besides the obvious, he also had to wait for the right time of the day, the right atmospheric conditions, etc. etc.
A fashion photographer showed us how she can spend up to a month preparing for a shoot.
A wild-life photographer showed us the effort involved with photographing snow owls close up. He spend about two weeks at it, and at least one day spent the better part of the day buried in a snowdrift, waiting for the right moment.
A street photographer surprised me with the amount of preparation he did to scout out appropriate locations and the right time of the day, as well as the preparation for the actual shoot. The end-result looked very spontaneous, but he told us that sometimes it takes him several hours before he gets the shot that is "it".
Every photographer we talked to in these presentations emphasized that all their light setup, exposure settings, WB settings, etc. were determined ahead of time. As one sports photographer said "if I have to think when action's happening, I've lost the shot - so it's all a matter of preparation and anticipation".
The bottom line for me was that to create a photograph, you have to actively "make" it. That effort does not guarantee that you will have a great shot, but it improves the odds in your favor.