Action photography is all about timing: you can frame up the shot as much as you like, but if you don’t get the shot exactly right, the subject will be blurry, out of frame or awkwardly caught in between movements. You can increase shutter speeds, hit the button over and over and do everything in your power to get the right shot, but sometimes it just comes down to pure dumb luck.
Below are 15 lucky shots you won’t believe.
Sometimes something as simple as popping a balloon can create a photograph with energy, expression and excitement.
Taken at a geothermal spring, the photographer waited ages for the weather conditions to be just right. Then they were able to capture the steam rising into a 30 foot tall tornado-like formation.
This holiday snap captures the exact moment one of the revellers catches a snack – perhaps a grape – in her mouth.
The Paranal Observatory often shoots lasers into space for research purposes, and every so often, a lucky photographer can capture our attempts to learn more about the universe.
This photographer managed to get a lucky shot of a jet plane – and Venus – crossing in front of the sun at the same time.
This lucky shot was clearly set up, but the timing still had to be perfect. The result is a surreal photograph that defies the laws of physics.
At every rodeo, horses will buck and attempt to throw its rider. This horse gets airborne, but the rider miraculously manages to stay on.
Being able to get close enough to wild animals to photograph them is hard enough, but you never know what you’re going to get with young animals, like this young elephant seal.
Not all lucky shots are beautiful or awe-inspiring. This photo is of a Madagascar hissing cockroach releasing its nymph offspring into the world, and though it is gross, it is also rare.
The US Air Force took this photo of an F-15E Strike Eagle flying near where the Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched in 2010.
This photographer managed to catch two birds in flight, in the exact same pose.
This photograph is full of tension, not least because a leopard is clearly charging the photographer, and all we really know is that the shot came out (though the photographer is definitely fine).
Reminiscent of summer days that lasted forever, this photograph captures the magic of our childhood with a perfectly timed shot of a bubble bursting.
It is rare enough to get an amazing shot of nature, but this photograph is mind-blowing in its near-perfect symmetry.
This shot is just gorgeous. The bird reaches to catch some bread, and the light shines through its feathers, making it light up like an angel.
These 15 lucky shots are lucky for lots of different reasons, but they were all captured because the photographers were ready for anything and open to unusual opportunities. Keep that in mind, and you should be able to get a lot more of your own lucky shots.
Speaking of your own lucky shots, which unbelievable photographs have you got?
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