HOW TO SHOOT MORE SPONTANEOUSLY
Improve your hit rate by photographing subjects that stretch your skills
The least spontaneous photographers tend to be those who shoot landscapes and architecture. These static subjects require patience and control; you take your time, watch and wait. Tripods and filters are the order of the day and rushing isn’t an option.
If this sounds like you, perhaps it’s time you tried something where you had to think on your feet, shoot without a tripod, work fast and rely on your instincts? Those skills can then be applied to the subjects you normally shoot, and you may discover a whole new way of working that refreshes your photography.
Landscapes can be spontaneous. The most dramatic lighting conditions tend to be unplanned. They occur quickly, without warning – sunlight suddenly breaking through a stormy sky, a colourful rainbow arching across the scene. You need to act quickly to capture these moments, but if you’re incapable of functioning without a tripod, or you get your filters in a twist, you’ll miss them and your photography will suffer. Meanwhile, the more casual shooter who rarely takes landscape photographs bags a winner without breaking sweat.
So how about breaking out of your comfort zone and trying something new that demands spontaneity? Street photography is a good one, or sport, or wildlife. Failing that, get into the habit of heading out without a tripod and a backpack full of kit and just observe the world around you. Photograph whatever catches your eye – details, abstracts, the play of light and shade, beautiful light on a scene.
The things you photograph don’t necessarily have to be moving. This is more about you adopting a more spontaneous approach – seeing something and instinctively photographing it. The images you capture won’t always be award-winners, but over time you’ll naturally become more observant and spontaneous, and as time goes on the need for control will lessen.
A great way to start is just by using your camera more, so it becomes familiar. If you mainly work with a tripod you won’t even know what your camera feels like in your hands, so get into the habit of handling your camera, using the main controls, so that it becomes second nature. If you’re shooting in changeable conditions or your subject is moving, you should ideally be able to change the exposure and AF functions with the camera at eye level, so you never lose sight of your subject. This might sound like a big ask, but it’s actually quite easy if you practise and can make all the difference when you need to act fast.
Panning is a great technique to try. It’s fairly easy to get the hang of, will help you to hone your skills and the resulting images look great. Try it on cars, animals, cyclists, your kids, at sporting events – anything that moves can be panned. All you do is pick a subject that’s crossing your path, follow it through your camera’s viewfinder by swinging the camera, and fire the shutter while you’re moving so the background blurs but your subject comes out sharp (ish). Don’t worry if your subject blurs as well – this can look great as it captures a greater sense of motion. Use Servo/continuous AF when you track your subject, so your lens will continually adjust focus to keep it sharp, and use a slow speed to introduce the blur. For a cyclist try 1/15sec, for a car try 1/30sec. Experiment with speeds faster or slower than this and see how you get on. It’s a little hit and miss in terms of success rate, but great fun.
Portrait photography should be spontaneous, so that you can capture natural expressions and work quickly so your subject doesn’t get bored. However, you also need to take control of the situation. This is especially the case when shooting on location. Pay attention to the environment and make mental notes before even approaching your subject, so you can be as prepared as possible. Is the lighting okay, or would it be better if you moved your subject to a different position? What about the background – too cluttered? Will you need to shoot at a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus? And then there’s light levels to consider – will a high ISO be required?
“Break out of your comfort zone”