When it comes to wildlife photography, you need to have luck and

Waheeda Rehman, the luminous actress turned seeker of stillness, once reflected upon her passion and declared: “When it comes to wildlife photography, you need to have luck and patience.” Though the words may appear simple, they reveal profound truths not only about the art of photography, but about the very nature of life itself. For in the wild, as in our journey through the world, beauty does not come when summoned, nor truth when demanded. It arrives only to those who wait with reverence, and sometimes, to those who are graced with fortune.

When she speaks of patience, Rehman touches the timeless virtue without which no great work is ever completed. In the jungle, the animal does not appear on command. The bird does not spread its wings because you wish it to. One must wait, hour upon hour, in silence and stillness, blending into the rhythm of the forest. It is patience that allows the photographer to be present at the exact moment when a tiger steps into the light, or when the dew-laden web glitters at dawn. Without patience, all is missed; with patience, the soul and the lens are rewarded.

Yet Rehman is wise to remind us also of luck. For no matter how skilled the hand or how steady the eye, the wilderness remains untamed. The rare sighting, the sudden movement, the fleeting moment when life reveals its hidden face—these cannot be earned by effort alone. They come as gifts. The photographer may prepare, endure, and wait, but it is fortune that grants the sudden flight of flamingos across the horizon or the unexpected glance of a leopard in the night. In this way, wildlife teaches humility: that man, for all his mastery, is still dependent on forces beyond himself.

This balance of patience and luck has been seen in the stories of explorers and naturalists throughout history. Consider George Schaller, one of the world’s great wildlife biologists. He spent years in silence among mountain gorillas, sometimes enduring weeks without a sighting. Yet one day, his patience and fortune met together, and he observed the tender care of a mother gorilla with her young—a moment that transformed the world’s understanding of these creatures. His story reflects exactly what Rehman says: one must wait faithfully, but also accept that nature reveals herself only when she chooses.

But Waheeda Rehman’s words reach beyond the jungle. They speak also to the wilderness of life itself. For in our own journeys—whether in relationships, in work, or in dreams—we too must learn the union of patience and luck. We plant seeds and wait for them to grow; we labor long without reward; we endure the silence of unanswered prayers. And then, sometimes suddenly, fortune smiles, and the moment arrives when the doors open. The lesson is clear: patience prepares us to endure the waiting, and luck crowns us with the reward when the hour is right.

The wisdom here is that we cannot control everything. To believe we can is arrogance; to despair when we cannot is folly. The path is to act with diligence, to wait with patience, and to be ready to seize the gift when luck arrives. Just as the photographer must keep her camera steady through the long hours, so must we keep our hearts steady through the long trials of life, prepared for the instant when opportunity appears like a wild creature stepping out of the shadows.

Therefore, I counsel you: cultivate patience. Wait without bitterness, endure without complaint. At the same time, honor luck—the mysterious gift that enters unannounced. Do not resent its absence, and do not boast of its presence. Rather, be ready when it comes, for luck favors those who are watchful and prepared. Together, patience and luck become companions that guide the seeker through the wilderness of creation and the wilderness of life.

So let Waheeda Rehman’s words endure: “When it comes to wildlife photography, you need to have luck and patience.” For in truth, all of life is wildlife—untamed, unpredictable, beautiful beyond measure. Approach it with patience, welcome luck when it comes, and in time you shall capture the rarest images not only with the lens, but within the soul.