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Taking Really Candid Candids Shooting strategies that will take you well beyond those "say cheese" snapshots From "The Whole Picture" episode DTWP-210

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	If you're having a problem with shutter lag resulting in blurred photos, manually raise your shutter speed until the blurring disappears.

Digital Cameras and Shutter Lag

Have you noticed that, unlike conventional film cameras that "snap" the picture at the instant you push the shutter button, with digital cameras there may be a second or so delay between pressing the button and the camera capturing the image. That phenomenon is known as "shutter lag". Until you get used to shutter lag, it can feel like a real handicap for photographers accustomed to the ease of "what you snap is what you get."

Though shutter lag is unfortunately an inherent characteristic with many digital cameras, there are a few things you can do to help compensate for it in order to minimize the problem. First, it's beneficial to understand a few basics. Basically, digital shutter lag is impacted by three major components of the picture taking process:

1. the camera's focusing system
   
2. the camera's image processing and compression system
   
3. the speed at which information is processed within the photographer's brain and along the neural network--commonly referred to as reflex time. (In other words, how fast you react to push the shutter button.)

Compensating for Shutter Lag

• To take good digital photographs, learn how to "work with" your own camera's shutter lag. First, you'll need to develop an instinctual feel for how long the lag is in your particular camera. To get some practice, just point at anything, press the shutter button, then count how long from the time you apply pressure to the audible click. This lag time is something you should remember and for which you'll eventually learn to compensate.

• You can usually help compensate for the lag time by pre-focusing the picture. To do this, just point your camera at your intended subject and depress the shutter and release it half-way down. This activates the auto focus process and locks the camera's focus and exposure. The camera is then ready to immediately take the photograph. When the action you wish to capture occurs, depress the shutter release the rest of the way. The photo should be captured within a half second or less from the time the shutter release button reaches the fully depressed position.

• Advanced Tip: Here's a tip that may help in brightly lit (daylight) situations. If you have a moderately advanced camera, set the focusing system to manual and focus the lens on infinity (i.e., landscape mode). Next, set the aperture priority to use a high f-stop (f8 or higher). The camera will then automatically adjust the exposure by changing the shutter speed. A higher f-stop results in a photo with a greater depth of field. When your camera is set in this mode, you do not need to depress the shutter release button half way and hold it until the right moment comes to take the picture. Just press the shutter release button all the way down immediately to take an in-focus picture with minimal shutter delay.

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	In candid photography, the self-timer can be an effective tool for keeping the subject's attention focused completely away from the camera.

Using Your Camera's Self Timer

Erin suggests that sometimes it may help to use a bit of "deception" to take candid shots. By using the self-timer, the photographer can step away from the camera, leading the subject to think no one could possibly be taking a picture. Using this technique, you can set the timer, pre-focus and, if you like, even include yourself in the picture. Here are some of Erin's tips for the creative use of the self-timer and how to get the best results:

• The main function of a digital camera's self-timer is to allow the photographer to be in his or her own photo. For candid photography, it can also be useful when you want to take a picture while your subject's attention is completely focused away from the camera. Think about it. If no one is touching the camera, certainly no one is taking picture--at least that's what you want your subjects to think.

• Before you get to the camera settings, the camera must be set on a tripod or level surface. Also, you will still need to press the shutter release button in two steps when using the self- timer. First, press the shutter button halfway to lock focus and exposure. Check the scene in the viewfinder or on the LCD.

• Many digital cameras let you select the time it takes for the self-timer to release the shutter, usually between two and 10 seconds. Some models have a custom self-timer, which lets you set the countdown time and the number of shots to be taken. Select the time you'll want the shutter to release.

• Next, fully press the shutter-release button to trigger the timer. As you move your hands away, be careful not to nudge the camera from its set position.

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