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Photo Tips & Techniques

Capture the Moment by Russ Burden Great pictures are all about timing.  Utilize these tips from Russ Burden and you'll be able to capture that perfect moment in time, too. Article rating: 9.09

The word MOMENT, relative to a given circumstance, may connote different durations. A moment during someone’s lifetime may last for hours. A moment in geological history may span thousands of years. A stolen moment of a secretive kiss may only linger a few seconds. Photographically, a moment may be as short as 1/ 8,000 of a second and the difference between this duration and, let’s say 1/2 sec., could mean getting the shot or not. Timing is absolutely critical. Luck plays a part in capturing it, but I’m a firm believer in creating my own luck and not waiting for it to fall into my lap. Therefore, I’ve learned that in order to increase my chances, I know that research, planning, learning to anticipate the peak action, and presetting the necessary settings on my camera will make me much luckier than the photographer next to me who leaves it to chance.

Today’s cameras make it easier to capture the perfect moment. Nine frames a second motor drives, fast lenses that lock on quickly and accurately, and spot on metering systems make the job easier. I truly am in awe of the photographers who nailed peak action shots in the days of manual focus, manual advance, and hand held meters!

BE PREPARED - FOCUS: If the action is going to happen at a specific location, prefocus the lens to that spot. For instance, if you’re photographing a baseball game, set the lens to second base and wait for the slide to the plate or the dramatic double play. On the other hand, if you’re photographing erratic movement, begin to lock on to your subject as it approaches and set the camera to continuous focus so the focus point changes along with the movement of the subject. If you wait until your subject is in front of you, the autofocus will not be able to react fast enough to provide a sharp image.

BE PREPARED - EXPOSURE: Set the camera’s ISO to at least 400. If it’s sunny, depending of the speed of movement of the subject, this should provide a fast enough shutter speed to stop the action. If the conditions are overcast or you’re indoors, keep moving the ISO higher to attain the necessary shutter but realize that the higher the ISO, the noisier the image. Shoot some test shots and check the LCD to see if the shutter speed you’re using is fast enough. You may find that you can shoot at ISO 200 which will in turn give you better image quality. Finding the proper shutter speed / aperture combination that stops the action and nets the necessary depth of field can be easily accomplished by, again, checking the LCD.

BE PREPARED - BETTER SHOTS: Set your camera to high speed motor drive. Try to anticipate when the peak action will occur and right before this moment, shoot a burst. The heavier your shutter finger, the more time you’ll spend editing. If time is not important, fire away. If it is an issue, be a bit more selective. The more you watch the action and learn to anticipate it, the fewer the necessary frames. Use a long lens to bring the action closer. Conversely, if the conditions and safety issues allow, use a wide angle lens and get close to the action for some unique and dramatic looks. Try shooting from different vantage points than that of all the other photographers. Lay down on the ground or get to a higher location for a bird’s eye viewpoint. As with any type of photography, get out there and practice. The more you shoot action, the greater the chance you’ll have of capturing the perfect moment.

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my new book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.

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