It's the unexpected: the moment on a location shoot or in the studio that isn't planned for, that just happens--sudden, unanticipated, it flashes into view for a second, maybe two, and then it's gone. If you actually press the shutter release, you'll have the image that justifies all your effort.
Or perhaps you're at a family gathering--everyone roasting hotdogs over an open fire, or making S'Mores, or picking berries or, as happened in our family, all three at the same time--and it just happens. The moment captured in an image that will be treasured for years.
There's nothing like family engaged in an activity in a beautiful setting to yield up opportunities for wonderful pictures--and this one evening produced several. Children filling pails with raspberries--something cute was bound to happen. So, I was ready. The sun was low. A gentle fill flash softened the shadows.
I was wandering through it capturing special scenes, when my granddaughter came up to me, gripping a pail of raspberries in both hands. She raised her pail. I raised my camera. And click. There it was. The moment captured.
1/60 sec; f/8.0; 17mm; ISO200Technically it isn't a perfect picture. The sun was behind the hills and I was still shooting at ISO 200. She was in motion, so the image is bit soft. But such are photos that capture the unexpected. On the plus side, the wide angle emphasized the closeness of her hands.
There are things you can do to stay on top of your game and capture those special moments. Of course, if you're in a formal portrait session, you're going to be setup for exposure and depth of field. But, even in the studio, you need to keep engaged, constantly watching for the unexpected. Whether it is a momentary light on your model's face that you brought out with your casual banter, or a fleeting expression in an unguarded moment, you have to be mentally present and ready to capture the image.
My best portraits have come when the subjects do something natural and revealing of who they are. One couple came in for formal portraits. It was the moment between poses when they looked at each other--with their love in their eyes--that made the perfect image. I do my best to draw these moments out of my clients. Sometimes I succeed. Sometimes the moments happen on their own.
Always have your camera with you. Carry it wherever you go.
Make use of your camera's smarts. Years of research and development are behind the automatic settings of your camera. By default, leave the camera in AUTO, so you can just swing it up and press the trigger when the fleeting moment presents itself.
If you want more control, use aperture-priority so you can dictate depth-of-field and improve your composition. Tweak ISO according to how much available light there is. But if shooting in any kind of unpredictable setting, leave shutter speed and color balance to your camera's brain. It gets it right 90% of the time.
Finally, be engaged. Keep your eyes open. Sometimes you'll see a special moment about to happen. You'll have time to move into position, make the composition, and capture it. Other times, you'll need your reflexes to get that shutter released before the moment is gone.
For me, the challenge of capturing special moments is what makes photography fun. The more you shoot, the more fun it gets and you'll find yourself capturing more of those moments that make it all worthwhile.
There are things you can do to stay on top of your game and capture those special moments. Of course, if you're in a formal portrait session, you're going to be setup for exposure and depth of field. But, even in the studio, you need to keep engaged, constantly watching for the unexpected. Whether it is a momentary light on your model's face that you brought out with your casual banter, or a fleeting expression in an unguarded moment, you have to be mentally present and ready to capture the image.
My best portraits have come when the subjects do something natural and revealing of who they are. One couple came in for formal portraits. It was the moment between poses when they looked at each other--with their love in their eyes--that made the perfect image. I do my best to draw these moments out of my clients. Sometimes I succeed. Sometimes the moments happen on their own.
Always have your camera with you. Carry it wherever you go.
Make use of your camera's smarts. Years of research and development are behind the automatic settings of your camera. By default, leave the camera in AUTO, so you can just swing it up and press the trigger when the fleeting moment presents itself.
If you want more control, use aperture-priority so you can dictate depth-of-field and improve your composition. Tweak ISO according to how much available light there is. But if shooting in any kind of unpredictable setting, leave shutter speed and color balance to your camera's brain. It gets it right 90% of the time.
Finally, be engaged. Keep your eyes open. Sometimes you'll see a special moment about to happen. You'll have time to move into position, make the composition, and capture it. Other times, you'll need your reflexes to get that shutter released before the moment is gone.
For me, the challenge of capturing special moments is what makes photography fun. The more you shoot, the more fun it gets and you'll find yourself capturing more of those moments that make it all worthwhile.
.jpg)
1 comment:
Cool material! I like the ideas about readiness for "Kodak moments". And the berry-pail picture is really cool. The only thing I can't decide is if I'm okay with not seeing the girl's mouth -- part of me wants to be able to see her whole face, but my instant reaction when I see the whole photo is delight -- besides, it seems like a safe guess that she's smiling :-)
Post a Comment