The Art of Waiting
These photographers spent years chasing the perfect shot...
Samuel Beckett believed that failure was an essential part of an artist’s work and that embracing it was crucial for any creative person to find meaning in the process itself. His most famous expression of this philosophy appears in his 1983 prose work Worstward Ho:
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
This feeling transcends the page, touching anyone who has ever waited, watched, and hoped for a moment that might never come...
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Photography, like any true art, is a lesson in patience. It requires a willingness to wait, to revisit, and to endure the slow progression from conception to realization. Hours, days, even years can pass with nothing to show for it, yet each attempt trains the eye, sharpens intuition, and prepares the hand for the instant when everything aligns.
Great photographs are rarely conjured in a single burst of genius. Sometimes it takes years of careful calculation, or hundreds of attempts at the same shot, and the process can be exhausting… yet as Leo Tolstoy wrote in War and Peace:
Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait.
The incredible photographs you are about to see are a masterclass in what can be achieved by those who are willing to persevere. Patience may be bitter, but its fruit is undeniably sweet…
1. Cathedral, Mountain, Moon
Italian photographer Valerio Minato spent six years chasing a single vision: a shot where the Basilica of Superga, Monviso mountain, and the Moon would align perfectly. The idea came to him in 2017 while exploring the hills near Castagneto Po, Italy, and he soon began meticulously studying angles, lighting, and the Moon’s movements.
His persistence paid off on December 15, 2023, when, for just a few seconds, the basilica, the mountain, and the Crescent Moon appeared together in the sky. The image also reveals the Earthshine, a subtle glow on the Moon’s dark side caused by sunlight reflecting off Earth.
This masterpiece, which earned the title of NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day, is proof that patience and careful planning can turn a long-held dream into a stunning reality.
2. The Perfect Dive
After six years, 4,200 hours, and 720,000 photos, wildlife photographer Alan McFadyen captured the perfect shot of a Kingfisher diving into the water.
The photo I was going for of the perfect dive, flawlessly straight, with no splash, required not only me to be in the right place and get a fortunate shot but also for the bird itself to get it perfect. I remember my grandfather taking me to see the kingfisher nest, and I remember being completely blown away by how magnificent these birds are. So when I took up photography, I returned to this same spot to photograph the kingfishers.
3. The Colors of the Moon
It took Italian astrophotographer Marcella Julia Pace a decade to capture these 48 distinct colors of the Moon.
This breathtaking composite was honored as NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day in November 2020. Reflecting on her work, Pace explained:
There's something magnetic about the photo and I get daily compliments about it from around the world. It's really important to me that this photo carries a message of respect for all forms of life. To live in harmony we need to be aware that it's not just fellow man that is our neighbour, but that all forms of life are on this eternal path with us.
4. Bruce the Bald Eagle
This photograph is the result of Canadian photographer Steve Biro's ten-year quest for the perfectly symmetrical shot.
He's squared up perfectly, both wings are touching the water. That photograph was the one that struck me as as little more special than the others. But I still didn't even know how it would resonate with people.
5. Christ the Redeemer “Holding” the Moon
After three years of patiently studying celestial patterns and tracking the satellite’s movement, Brazilian photographer Leonardo Sens captured the shot he had long dreamed of: a mesmerizing image of Christ the Redeemer seemingly "holding" the Moon.
Here in Niterói we have a view of the mountains of Rio de Janeiro, and it’s easy to see that at certain times of the year the sun and moon pass close to Christ. Then I had the idea to research and observe the correct date. This alignment takes place every year, but in 2021 I was unable to frame the photo and in 2022 it was too cloudy on the day.
Sens finally achieved this breathtaking photo on June 4, 2023, from Icaraí Beach in Niterói, just seven miles across the bay from the iconic 98-foot Art Deco statue.
Beauty like this doesn’t happen by chance — it is the reward of persistence and countless unseen efforts. In his Poor Richard's Almanack, the yearly pamphlet published by Benjamin Franklin, the American polymath wrote:
He that can have patience can have what he will.
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Absolutely incredible! We all need more beauty
Wow!! Spectacular! And wonderful to know they are all real!! (So much photoshop and AI these days). Thank you for posting this.