Pixiq

Documentary photographer Sebastiao Salgado emphasized the importance of moment during a presentation about his work on refugees saying that, “if these 100 images were each shot at 1/100 second, then they represent only 1 second of human suffering.” In the blink of an eye, he documented the horrific story of the refugees’ plight. Salgado’s photographs illustrated just how important moment really is.

To be successful in your search for meaningful images, it’s not as much about technique as it is about being there. “f/8 and be there,” as the old newspaper photographers used to say. Bob Krist points out that beginning photographers are too hung up on the “f/8” part, rather than the “being there” side of the equation. Push yourself to get beyond the technical crossing over into a creative approach to making images.

Know Your Gear

When I’m working with my camera, I get into a zone where all other thoughts drop away. Once in the zone it’s not longer about the camera, it’s about being there. To truly be in the moment requires you to be thoroughly familiar with your equipment—so familiar that making a good exposure is second nature. Don’t miss the shot because you’re fumbling with your camera!

First, prepare your equipment. Use a tripod if you are shooting slow shutter speeds or using long lenses. Charge your batteries and have plenty of backup batteries ready. Clean and check all of your gear so you aren’t surprised in the field. Format and clear your memory cards. Being prepared is vital; you don’t want to miss a tropical bird displaying for a mate because your battery is dead.

Next, double-check all the camera settings before the action starts. Determine your shooting mode. If you are concerned about low light, set the camera to Aperture Priority and put it on the largest aperture. If you have plenty of light and want to freeze the action of a fast-moving subject, set the shooting mode to Shutter Priority and decide on a shutter speed. Shooting JPEG files means you must set the appropriate controls on your camera, such as white balance. If the light is changing frequently—such as rolling clouds on a sunny day—considering setting the white balance to automatic.

Capturing moments with your camera requires different strategies depending on what you are shooting. Sometimes it’s better to work hand-held so you can move more freely and react more quickly. Don’t depend too much on your zoom, and keep moving as the light or situation dictates. When you find the key spot, slow down, be patient, and work the situation.

Pre-visualize the images you want to create. Experienced photographers are often accused of being “lucky,” or that the reason they get the shots is because they have a good camera. Following that logic, good painters must have really good paintbrushes. We all know the truth: you make your own luck by being in the right place at the right time. To do that you have pre-visualize a moment or a situation you seek to photograph, execute the logistics to get there at the right time, then seize the moment by being patient and making the best image possible.

Know the Subject

Whether it’s observing animals in the wild, anticipating the blooming cycles of springtime flowers, or guessing the timing of fall color in the high country, knowing you subject will help you better predict the special moments in nature that reveal the spirit or essence of an animal or place.

The more you know about your subject, the better you will be at placing yourself in the situation to make the best images at the right time. It was Louis Pasteur that said, “In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.” It takes time to get know a place well, and it takes even more time to understand all the habits and behaviors of the wildlife that live there. Allow yourself the luxury of time to explore. The more you observe the more you will be open to chance.

Natural moments come in many forms. They can be as forceful as a brown bear pouncing on a wild salmon, or somewhat comical, like a puffin running on top of the water before take-off. Moments can also be subtle: the way a leopard pauses motionless when hunting. Even light itself can be a moment, like the soft color of sunrise creeping over the Denali tundra landscape.

Watch for Cues

Some animals tip you off as to their next behavior, so with experience you will learn some of the signs. For example, it’s well known that birds commonly “let go” before taking off. Compose the shot leaving room for the bird to fly into the frame. Before jumping, a polar bear will test the edge of the ice by pushing up and down to see if it breaks. This signals you to get ready. Compose the frame to catch the bear in mid-air when making its jump, and shoot wide if there’s a chance for a reflection. Be ready; don’t look away or get distracted. Miss the jump the first time and it may never happen again.

Repetitive Behavior

The best of all worlds is when wildlife repeats a behavior giving you multiple chances to succeed, like humpback whales in southeast Alaska blowing a spiral of bubbles while feeding. This co-operative behavior called, “bubble-net feeding,” often happens over and over, so it’s hard to miss shot. Sometimes gulls and kittiwakes will follow the whales, feeding on scraps and giving you another way of anticipating the action.

Scout Locations

It’s important to explore a landscape thoroughly and search for interesting foregrounds and tight compositions that are microcosms of the larger scene. I’ll often scout in the middle of the day when the sun is high, searching for compositions to return to later in the day when the light is better.

Work the Subject

Whatever the subject, work it thoughtfully. Shoot it in as many different ways as time and energy allows. If the afternoon is blessed with clouds, look for flowers and other macros subjects. Find color and fill the frame.

Anticipate

The key is to recognize the potential of a situation, set up in a position for the best potential light and composition, and then anticipate the moment. This often entails framing a composition long before the animal appears or before the good light starts to hit a scene. Shoot a few test frames to refine your frame, and then wait for the moment to happen.

During the wait, think of the dream scenario. If you were to draw a storyboard of the scene, what would you want to happen? Determine the best overall position to capture the moment, and place yourself strategically. Of course, when the action starts you can always change your shooting strategy to adjust to the conditions and the opportunities that are presented.

Next, think of the technical considerations. Often it pays dividends to be ready with two camera bodies, one with the long lens mounted on a tripod, and the other with medium-zoom on a shoulder strap. If you are going for sharp images with a fast shutter speed, increase your ISO and open up your aperture a stop or two. If you anticipate showing motion in your image, lower your ISO and stop down the aperture.

Anticipating the light will help you determine your shooting mode. If the scene is consistent with no confusing backgrounds, it is usually okay to stick with aperture priority. But for shooting in more difficult conditions with variable backgrounds, consider switching to manual to avoid wild swings in light meter readings. For capturing motion blur, set the shooting mode to shutter priority and shoot at slow shutter speeds.         

Practice Patience

Having the guts to stay to the bitter end takes your ability to capture a moment to another level. Today’s digital cameras can literally shoot in the dark, so it’s important to keep shooting and trying new things, even after the sun goes down.

I’m not a patient person. I may appear that way, but it’s a front. I’m always thinking about the best angle and being in the right spot. Should I move, or should I stay? Is the light better over there? But once I find my spot, I’m patient to a fault.

As you develop a knack for anticipation, you will naturally become more confident about your choices of where and what to shoot, and also more patient to wait for the moment of anticipation to arrive.

There’s a misconception that professional photographers know what they are doing at all times; that we can walk into any situation and, with a single click of the shutter, be done. To the contrary! The truth is, we’re so paranoid about missing the shot that we work good situations to exhaustion. Sure, we may not spin our wheels as long finding a good situation, but it’s always a matter of maintaining.

Once you recognize a good situation, have the patience to let the scene unfold. If it’s worth one picture it’s worth a gigabyte (and more). Work the situation until you can shoot no more. That’s where patience comes in.

Although it sounds adventuresome and glamorous, it’s not always fun waiting in the rain, hiking in the dark, or dealing with insects and the thousands of other potential discomforts in nature. Photos are not judged by the effort it takes to get them. Some days you come away with nothing. Be persistent and see your concept through. Work around the bad weather until it breaks. Practice patience and wait for the light.

Just when you think it’s not happening, or you think you’re done shooting, take that one extra image, or series of images. The last image you shoot could be the one and keeps you coming back to search for that next special moment to photograph.

Preparation Checklist

• Charge all batteries

• Clean gear and check sensor

• Format memory cards

• Check camera settings:

   200 ISO

   aperture priority at f/8

   exposure compensation at 0 EV

   Adobe RGB color space

   RAW format

• Organize gear to be accessible

• Clean tripod and check quick-release plates

• Review custom functions (mirror lock-up)

• Study maps and guidebooks

• Have a headlamp and GPS for finding locations