Ten Tips For Shooting On The Fly

As we have discussed previously here, photography is always in motion, and packing a tiny DSLR around is not at all cumbersome. A Canon T3 & EF 50mm, for example, fits in a coat pocket comfortably.

But to get shots anytime, takes patience and prep work. Here are ten tips to help with that process.

1)   Shoot for the scene, meaning if you are headed out for a stroll downtown on a cloudy day, set the ISO for 800 and set your camera to Aperture or Shutter Priority. Shooting in these modes will ensure crisp, accurate, and properly focused depths of field.

2)   White Balance is a tricky problem for DSLR users, which means that setting the WB to Auto is not such a bad idea. Changing conditions demand changing settings, such as going from daylight to cloudy and then to shade, or even indoors and fluorescent. If you can remember to adjust, then simply do so according to scene.

3)   Depending on lens, you may want to preset the focal length. On the kit lens for example, I like to keep the lens at 35mm, unless the scene dictates a wider or zoomed view. This helps to frame and focus shots quickly.

4)   Know what to look for, or better still- look for what you want and like. In the above photo, a stroll through my neighborhood, yielded a typical fall shot, mushrooms after the first rains. The close-up was shot handheld with a Canon T3 and EFS 18-55mm.

5)   If there are fast moving subjects around, like trains or people or birds, set your camera to Shutter Mode, and go with a fast shutter, 1/500 second or faster.

6)   Don't be afraid to ask people for photos. Many will oblige. Offer emailed shots.

7)   Always have a pen and pad.

8)   Be creative and try different angles and exposures. The results will surprise you.

9)   Anticipation. This is a bit of an art. Know your surroundings. If perhaps, you happen to find yourself at a local park, and a pair of eagles are within range on a not-so-high perch, it pays to know the range and capabilities of a small and slow telephoto lens. In these spots, raise the ISO and shutter, and try and get to f8 for an aperture. Know what it takes at every moment.

10)   Don't be apprehensive. I have lost photos because of not wanting to risk a confrontation in my right-leaning hometown. Do not do that...take the shot, it is that simple.