Quick Photography Tips for Capturing Candid Moments

Photography Tips

Regardless of your genre of photography, you must condition yourself to capture a special moment the instant it presents itself. Wedding photographers and photojournalists actually earn their bread and butter on being at this level of heightened readiness. But you too can become an expert at capturing the defining moment if you train yourself to follow the PLAN of action. Intrigued? Here’s a quick video that explains the approach:

There are some moments that cannot be posed. And even if you do manage to pose the effects are nearly not as good as the natural shots. The trick to capturing them is to be ready when they happen. PLAN stands for Prepare, Lock-In, Anticipate and then wait for the Now moment.

Prepare

Preparing means planning and bringing the tools that you need for the shoot. Owning a great piece of gear and then leaving it back home isn’t going to do you any good. For example, many people invest in expensive photography gear and then leave it at home most of the time because it’s not easy to lug around. If you feel you need something lighter, buy a camera / lens combination that you’re comfortable carrying with you at all times. This ensures you seldom leave it at home. Any camera in your hand is better than the best camera at home.

Lock-In

This part of the process refers to locking in the settings before you approach a shot. Though it may sound a bit difficult at first, it’s rather easy when you’ve mastered the trick. You might start with assisted modes to begin with. But as you gain some experience and are generally in the ball park with your exposure ‘guesses’ most of the time, you can do this even in manual mode. Dialing in the right settings beforehand is the right way to go; so many shots are missed while photographers are fiddling with their camera settings.

Anticipation

Anticipation comes from being there and doing it. It comes from shooting a lot and knowing the game.

Anticipation leads to better candid photos.

Regardless of your genre of photography, if you don’t know where the action is expected to unfurl, you’re not going to be successful shooting photos at that event. Be proactive, anticipate, and be at the right place before the action happens. Set up your shot before anything happens.

Wait for the Now Moment

This is the final element of preparation. Having set up your camera at the right place and dialed in the right settings, you now wait for the right moment when everything falls into place for you to make the shot.

Posing vs. Candid

Watch the rest of the video for some helpful tips on how to approach a couple shoot.