How many times have you had a quick opportunity for that great shot, but when you grab your camera something just isn’t right?

Here’s a couple of simple ideas

1. Finish with a preset

I always preset my camera before putting it away. I pick what I think is an average setting and then I shut it off. If I grab the camera quickly I have a better likelihood of getting the shot. For me, I select an f-stop of f8.0, that seems to be a mid point . The shutter speed I select is related to point number two.

2. Use A.E.B. (auto exposure bracketing)

A.E.B. is a setting most DSLRs have that allows the camera to capture 3 exposures within a selected exposure range. I my case, I select 1 stop + and 1 stop -. I then set my shutter speed of 1/125sec. When I press my shutter button, I get 1/60, 1/125, 1/250sec exposures. I know from experience that I can hold a camera steady to 1/60th; below that I tend to get blur. This increases my chance of getting that shot.

3. Lens  Select the lens you use most, and put it on. For some that may be a 50mm, for others a 70-200m In my case, I select a wide angle lens. There is no wrong answer to this one.

4. Batteries/Memory

This seems so simple, but everyone has it happen. Sure you have an extra battery in your bag, and plenty of memory cards, but are they in the camera? When I finish shooting, I always change my battery for a fresh charged one, and make certain there is a card in.

Try these suggestions and the next time you need to shoot on the fly you may end up with a better quick shot.

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