I was looking into buying one of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 cameras, so I was reading the reviews and watching the how-to videos and stuff like that to see if I actually wanted to own one. I watched the video presentation of this one guy who apparently is a full-blown wildlife photographer. He spoke about how he was using one of the Pocket 3 cameras when he saw, (I believe it was a white snow leopard), and he was about to film it but the camera crapped out on him. So, he missed his shot. Man, that would be upsetting.
 
It had been raining here in L.A. The rain had stopped, and I stepped outside last night and there was this beautiful gigantic full moon. The clouds were moving past it, highlighted by its brightness. It was beautiful. I had to film it. So, I went inside to grab one of my tripods that has an iPhone head on it. I mean, the shot had to be steady to capture all of that perfection. It only took me a couple of minutes to get it. I walked outside again as I was extending the legs. I look up, but the scene was gone. The moon was still there but all of the clouds blowing past it had dissipated. I missed my shot. I was very upset.
 
I think back to the moon footage for the Zen Film, Vampire Abstracta that I shot. It was a scene exactly like I saw last night. Then, more than fifteen years deep now, I saw the scene, grabbed my Bogen tripod and my Sony VX2000. Set them up and grabbed the shot. It was/is a very good scene.
 
Here’s the thing, sometimes you miss your shot. There are many-many reasons for this. Maybe your equipment goes wanky, like in the case of that wildlife photographer. Maybe it took too long to grab the equipment you (I) needed to get that shot. All kinds of reasons… But, when it is gone it is gone and then it is gone. There’s no hope of ever getting it back.
 
I kept looking outside after that situation last night. Hoping the clouds would reappear. But, they did not. The moment was gone. The possibility of capturing that shot was gone.
 
In my life, I have watched as a lot of people threw away their shot. They didn’t try to take it. I know in the film game, I have watched more than a couple of times when I have offered someone a pathway to being a star—at least a star of an indie film, which could have been their steppingstone, but they turned it down believing that something better would come along. But, something better never did.
 
In the world of the martial arts, I have watched as some people would get just one step away from earning their black belt, but they quit. Sure, I’m sure, they each had their reasoning. But, they missed their shot.
 
The actor and filmmaker, Tom Laughlin, of Billy Jack fame, he was a brown belt under Bong Soo Han. One step away from becoming a black belt, but he quit training. The creator, director, and star of arguably one of the most influential U.S. Made martial arts films of all time, and he missed his shot.
 
This is just something you should think about as you pass through your life. Sometimes it’s not your fault when you miss your shot. You tried but circumstances stopped you. But, if you are offered that shot, you should never turn it down, because once it is gone it is gone and then all you will be left with is the something that could have been.