Beginner Spare of the moment shots.

Thatchapthere

Thatchapthere

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Hi,

So, I'm exploring and getting to grips with the 3 primary fundamentals of apeture etc, however what does one do when there is a moment of inspiration requiring a panicked reach for the camera and an immediate quick shoot before the moment is gone? Is the onus on teeing up the shot quickly (applying the focus principles), or just using Auto and bang! ...?
 
Thatchapthere said:
Hi,

So, I'm exploring and getting to grips with the 3 primary fundamentals of apeture etc, however what does one do when there is a moment of inspiration requiring a panicked reach for the camera and an immediate quick shoot before the moment is gone? Is the onus on teeing up the shot quickly (applying the focus principles), or just using Auto and bang! ...?
Click to expand...
My main camera is usually (but not always) set thus...
AV, Auto ISO, Lens wide open (ish) centre focus point, AI Servo, BBF. +1/3 exp comp.
Because I know that, I can almost certainly take a shot almost instantly. As I pick the camera up, I'll double check those and I can alter something if necessary.

However, I'm only likely to pick it up in a hurry if I know it's got the right lens on. If I see a shot I know I can't get instantly, and it'll be gone before I can be ready - tough s***! I was never getting that shot.

But usually my photos take a bit of input from me, so I have a little time.
 
Thatchapthere said:
Hi,

So, I'm exploring and getting to grips with the 3 primary fundamentals of apeture etc, however what does one do when there is a moment of inspiration requiring a panicked reach for the camera and an immediate quick shoot before the moment is gone? Is the onus on teeing up the shot quickly (applying the focus principles), or just using Auto and bang! ...?
Click to expand...
Getting the shot takes precedence, however you do it. Over time, figuring out how to switch to auto will become more of a fiddle than getting the exposure with manual settings if you use manual whenever possible. It's a rare occasion when you'll get a good image as a result of a grab shot though. Most good photos are planned well in advance...
 
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I'd add, perfect pictures don't often appear before us.

It's a common misconception, and people who get a really good picture by accident perpetuate the myth that there's luck involved.

If a couple grab me at a wedding and ask for a picture taking, I'll often move them for a cleaner background, it'll be a subtle move, but you have to understand 'the magic doesn't happen inside the box' I choose to frame an image in light and against a background. Even shooting candids, we position ourselves and choose lenses and techniques to create an image, we're not just 'pointing the camera at stuff that's happening'.
 
Phil V said:
I'd add, perfect pictures don't often appear before us.

It's a common misconception, and people who get a really good picture by accident perpetuate the myth that there's luck involved.

.
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Don't shatter my illusions haha..

A steam locomotive was passing by me today and I was like a bumbling mess...nothing shot as I'm still learning/looking/etc.
A feeling of being robbed permeated for some time..
 
Thatchapthere said:
Don't shatter my illusions haha..

A steam locomotive was passing by me today and I was like a bumbling mess...nothing shot as I'm still learning/looking/etc.
A feeling of being robbed permeated for some time..
Click to expand...
If I'd got a £ for every awesome shot I've fumbled away, I'd be able to retire.

Don't sweat the stuff you missed.
 
It depends on what camera I am using.
With a mirror less it will be, in reasonable light levels, as soon as it is turned on.
Aperture priority
F8 as a "general purpose" aperture
Auto ISO (200 (base) to 3200) - it works the same as I would do.
Continious autofocus
Centre focus point only active.

With a Canon DSLR body it will be similar except the ISO will be manualy set to around 400, in reasonable light levels.

I'm with Phil about not worrying about missed "on the fly" shots.
 
If you are lacking confidence / experience settings for spur of the moment pics, either go for a green square setting (on a Canon) or have the camera on P, auto about 200 or 400 depending if it's bright or cloudy, and focusing on AI Focus
 
mortimerhill said:
If you are lacking confidence / experience settings for spur of the moment pics, either go for a green square setting (on a Canon) or have the camera on P, auto about 200 or 400 depending if it's bright or cloudy, and focusing on AI Focus
Click to expand...

I wouldn't use the green square mode, as it locks you out of quite a few things, but P is a very underrated setting and can also be very versatile using programme shift and compensation options (cameras vary). It'll always get you fairly close without any thinking or fiddling, and is capable of big exposure shifts - like when you turnaround from sun to shade and the new exposure is beyond the scope of say A aperture-priority. Or when moving from indoors to outdoors etc.
 
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You use the camera in whatever way is most comfortable to you - as that will be the way you will get the best result, the quickest.

For me, that usually means manual everything (sometimes auto focus, depending on the camera). Have the camera set for the light you're in, then you don't have to wonder what the camera is going to guess at if you have it in auto/semi-auto. Just point, shoot, done.

And as they say, practice makes perfect a bit better than you used to be.
 
Anything other than M mode is automatic, but with A and S (Av and Tv in Canons IIRC) the user presets the aperture or shutter speed and lets the camera select the other parameter automatically. As Hoppy said above, P mode is possibly the answer, allowing the camera to make an instant decision while also allowing the user to quickly shift away from the suggested settings to one that he/she feels might be better suited to the situation.

Not sure of your level of experience but since this is the Beginners section, I'll assume that you're a relative beginner. Just keep shooting! For the moment, experiment, experiment and then experiment some more. Take loads of shots of the same subject at lots of different settings then look at them when you get home and decide which have worked best in your eyes - eventually you'll have a good idea as to which aperture and/or shutter speed works best for a given subject as well as discovering that some scenes will probably need some exposure compensation rather than relying completely on the camera's meter (although they're pretty damn good these days!)
 
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