One of the most essential things you need to understand when photographing children is how to capture the moment. After all, the goal of our photographing children is to record their history, and if we are not prepared we won’t create much of a record.
Most digital cameras have a two-step shutter release; only the most inexpensive fixed-focus cameras do not. Knowing how to use this feature is key in learning how to capture the moment and creating great pictures.
When you put a little pressure on the shutter release button, the camera leaps into action: it locks in both the focus and the exposure setting. If you continue to hold the shutter button down, the focus and exposure settings won’t change.
"The Little Artist"
In the photo on the right I focused on the child and then recomposed the picture to include the background, placing the subject (in accordance to the rule of thirds) on the left hand side of the photograph and captured the moment.
I then modified this picture in Adobe Photoshop CS5 
You can then recompose the picture and, when it meets your approval, press the shutter release all the way down to snap your photograph, and capture moments.
There are a number of reasons why you want to use this method with your shutter release:
- Focus lock takes only a small fraction of a second- If you are taking a photograph where you want to precisely control the instant of exposure, lock the exposure and focus first, then when you are completely satisfied with your composition apply slightly more pressure to the shutter release to capture the scene instantaneously.
- To use the camera’s spot meter function – The spot meter is usually found in the dead center of your viewfinder. Using the spot meter aim your camera at the point you want in focus, press the shutter release half-way down, then recompose the picture using the rule of thirds to snap your photograph.
If you want something off to the side of your picture to be in focus, then point your camera at your off-center subject and lock the focus and exposure. Then recompose the shot and snap the picture. Learning to capture moments in photography will give you and your family a great deal of pleasure.
Betty Muscott, Child Photographer
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About Betty Muscott
Betty A. Muscott is an experienced child photographer and online entrepreneur for tools to capture great photographs of children by parents and grandparents. Connect with Betty on Google+
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