© Steve Dutcheshen. Courtesy of the artist.

Introduction

We’ve all had moments when we saw the perfect photograph and weren’t able to capture it: the look of surprise on a child’s face when they open the perfect present, the unexpected instant when the groom dips the bride for a hero’s kiss, or that thrilling apex of a motocross jump when an athlete’s legs stick out behind him as his bike seems to hang suspended in the air. These are moments you can never get back; the second they happen, they’re over—unless you have the presence of mind, training, experience, and know-how to snap that frame perfectly when it counts.

In some circumstances, you may have time to fiddle with dials, evaluate the histogram, and try to recreate the shot you want, but the purpose of this book is to help you gather the tools you need to get it right the first time, every time, and always get the shot.