Have you ever noticed that sometimes you are ready to take that perfect action shot, but you keep missing it? You push the button to take the photo, but your camera doesn’t seem to be responsive enough. While this can be frustrating, there are ways around your camera’s delay.
Most of the time, the camera’s delay is caused by a setting or command you don’t realize you’re telling it to perform. You can get the photos you want by anticipating and preparing for the delays your camera needs.
One reason your camera may be delaying taking the shot is because it’s trying to focus and check the light before opening the shutter so that you get a better shot. Today’s cameras are amazingly smart, and because of the technology in them, they can quickly focus on the subject as well as test and adjust the lighting to whatever it thinks is best. The computerized cameras make taking quality photos so much easier without any effort on your part. It’s amazing, really. But it’s not always instantaneous. You most likely want these things to happen (and on point and shoot cameras you may not have an option), so learning to work around the timing issue is the best way to get great photos.
Most cameras now can help you get ready for an action shot when you hold the button half-way down before taking the actual photo. When you do this, you’re signaling to the camera to focus and make lighting adjustments before the shot, so that part is done before the action happens. This can significantly help. Another suggestion is to anticipate the shot and try snapping the photo half a second before the action happens. Still missing the action? Turn your camera onto the continuous shooting mode and capture before, during, and after the action.