Pre-empting the action is paramount

AS ever, images that carry the most impact and nail a particular story often happen when you least expect it.
Of course, you cannot know something is going to happen for sure but a good photographer will always be prepared to anticipate and to second guess what may happen.
It might sound odd but a photographer instinctively knows to expect something will happen. Whether this occurs or not is another matter entirely.

Sports photographers are a prime example of this. They understand that when a corner is to be taken at a football match, the ball will either be played short or hoofed into the penalty area for one of the strikers to attack.
So the photographer will be guessing where he thinks the ball will go and begin shooting before the ball even connects with the striker’s head.

If they wait until they see the  ball  on the player’s head, the chances are that they will have missed the moment.
Pre-empting the action is one of the fundamental keys ensuring successful photography.
On  Sunday I was invited to attend a dress rehearsal for Alice in Wonderland, the latest production by the talented Yeovil Amateur Pantomime Society.

It is one of those shoots where pictures have to be set up as it is all about faces.
I used window light, their black curtains and a flash unit as a backlight. Simple but effective.
The main picture came about as I was shooting one of the musicians and magic happened when one of the cast walked into shot.
I did not set it up but I was totally ready for it. The moral of today’s story is ‘be prepared’.