Why Grip-n-Grin Photos Never Tell The Story

Have you ever noticied that photos never tell the stories we remember most fondly.

I’ve been looking back a lot lately at some of the amazing experiences Mother Nature has gifted me with and I just came across this photo...

I can remember just about every detail of this hunt. The details are the best part, and none of that can be seen or felt in just this photo.

The story began 125 miles south where I was hosting a work event at a concert. I left the show late, slept maybe an hour before I had to hit the road knowing there was a big front pushing through. Wind, snow, everything that could make for an epic diver hunt. No weather, or lack of sleep was going to hold me back.

So I hit the road. Thermos of coffee parked in the passenger seat, radio cranked up and visions of F16 like ducks whizzing over decoys. I’ll spare the details of the drive. But in perfect time, I made it to meet my brother and our buddy Haas. Dekes were about to be deployed. Wind was crankin’ snow was blowing and stinging your face. You could hear the sloshing of slush balls crashing on the snow and ice coated rocky shoreline.

The hunt began, just as I envisioned on the drive. We each knocked down a bird from the first flock. And again next flock. And again. We eventually began just taking turns individually with each new group as solo man up until you missed. There was good ol’ ribbing, laughs and some pretty impressive shots.

In around 5 hours time we had filled our three man limit of scaup. And just as we began to pack things up, the snow stoped! The wind began to fall and suddenly the sky opened. As if Mother Nature was joining in the celebration. She threw a challenge our way, we battled through it and came out victorious.

I don’t know what part is coolest to me, the events of the actual hunt, or the way the sky unfolded afterward. Neither of those things can be seen in just the picture.

That’s the thing about pictures or people being obsessed with them being perfect. The picture doesn’t tell the whole story. It never does.

If you’re living your life for the picture, you’re missing out on all of the really good stuff. The stuff you can’t see in a picture.