Hours spent shooting leads to patience, peace of mind

Everybody knows it takes time to perfect a craft. But for one man from Austin, reaching that level of perfection may take longer than it does for anyone else.

One could say John Duren has been putting in overtime — in the woods. As an aspiring wildlife photographer, Duren has spent countless hours sitting, looking and listening for the right shots. It’s not that Duren is slow to catch onto his craft, it just takes time — a lot of it.

“As far as amount of hours I spent out there, it’s really too much to count,” Duren said, and added he will often sit for as many as five hours, perhaps more.

“I remember a rainy day specifically, where I got out really early in the morning,” he said. “I just sat there for, it must have been five or six hours.”

Whenever Duren has free time, he takes advantage of it.

“I try to get out as much as I can,” he added.

Duren started shooting wildlife in high school for photography assignments and never stopped. He recalls watching wildlife shows on television and hoping to capture some of the images on his own.

“That’s really the only reason I’m into photography in the first place is wildlife,” Duren said.

Now, at 25, Duren is even more meticulous with his photography, but nature still comes first. He won’t follow animals or ruin habitat by trying to move in for a shot. He picks one spot and stays there.

“I think the big thing about when I go out and shoot is I like to just sit for a long period of time,” he said. “A lot of people think you have to go and find animals in order to spot them. The majority of my best shots are when I’ve gone to just pick a spot in the woods.”

Duren’s method paid off early in his hobby when two gray foxes approached him at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center — a rare sight in the area. He captured one’s picture. Since then, he’s also shot the white ibis and brown pelican while in South Carolina.

However, Duren isn’t just looking for the rare shots, he said. Pictures of turkeys, deer and native birds still please him. No matter what the situation, Duren recalls all the details of every good shot. He’s spent so much time on some projects that he’s become a part of the surroundings — to the point where animals accept his presence.

For months, Duren documented a pair of nesting geese and captured them in nearly all types of weather. They saw him on occasion and began to accept him. Though some may not appreciate such common sights as Canada geese, Duren looks at it differently.

“Don’t look at the group of animals as a whole, but look at them as individuals,” he said.

That philosophy, along with his demeanor, keeps paying off for Duren. Now, Duren can be considered a master of patience. Being quiet, mindful of habitat and precise with equipment are essentials to perfect the craft. Duren made many mistakes in the beginning, and though he still makes mistakes, he learns from them and makes sure not to repeat them. Duren also knows there will be days when he will see nothing. Either way, the learning process remains constant.

“You never get to a point where you’re done learning about your craft,” Duren said. “Once you stop wanting to learn you’re just done. You might as well be done. And it takes time; you can’t just go out and perfect a craft. It takes years and years and years.”

Those are perhaps reasons why Duren doesn’t pick favorite moments in the woods or favorite pictures because the next time could always the best.

If not, he’ll gladly continue to put in more time.