How to Get Past Only Firing the Shutter Once

Is once enough? It depends. When you’re photographing wildlife or people, learn how to set your camera on continuous mode so you don’t miss out on the action.

You’ve landed on one of 28 posts about photography and how to improve your skills. If you’re a creative, blogger, or photography enthusiast, you’ve landed in the right spot!

The Power of Continuous Shooting

“Look, a coyote,” I said to Pedro. “You can pull over here.”

“We wouldn’t want to cause a bear jam,” he joked, as he pulled into an official pullout next to an open field in Yellowstone National Park.

“It looks like he’s going the opposite direction,” I said. “We can probably walk a little closer.” I grabbed my camera and moved to the edge of the open area, closer to the coyote.

Nervously, I checked my camera to make sure I had the camera set to continuous mode and got in position to photograph—hoping against hope the coyote would do something more than walk across the open area.

My finger rested on the camera shutter, and I repeated to myself, “Hold it down, hold it down.”

For years, I had an Olympus OM1 SLR film camera. I always longed for one of those cool auto film advancers on my camera, but as a poor student and then newlywed, I couldn’t afford one. And now, I had to break the habit of only depressing the shutter button once.

It seemed unnatural to just hold my finger on the trigger and keep on taking photos. But I determined I wanted to improve my wildlife photography, I would have to take full advantage of my DSLR’s continuous shooting mode.

At that moment, the coyote leaped straight into the air and pounced down. My finger pushed and stayed down. I heard the shutter click repeatedly.

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You Can Do Something More Than Once

Growing up I thought we should pray once before each meal, and once again when we went to bed. Only as I traveled through life and faced hardships, confusions, and crises did I come to realize we don’t have to limit ourselves to only praying at set times.

In fact, Paul urges believers to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We don’t have to limit ourselves to praying every once in a while. God wants to hear from us at all times and for all the reasons. How do I know? He’s my heavenly Father.

As a parent, I know how much I long to hear my children’s voices—even if they’re calling to share a sorrow, ask for money, or vent. I just love hearing from them. Hands down, our Father’s parenting skills surpass mine. He wants to hear from you. No matter what you tell him.

Your Homework

Figure out how to put your DSLR camera in continuous mode. My Canon 6D has a [drive] button on the top that allows me to switch between a single shot, continuous shooting, a timer, or a wireless remote.

Most newer point-and-shoot cameras have a continuous shooting mode. I purchased my Nikon CoolPix in 2014, and discovered today it has continuous shooting.

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If you’ve never used the continuous mode before, practice! It takes retraining your brain to keep your finger on the shutter button.

iPhones call it burst mode. On older iPhones, you can get a burst by using the timer or by holding the shutter button down. On newer phones (or those with iOS 14+) you’ll need to swipe the shutter button to your left to activate the burst mode.  The shutter button will display how many photos you have taken.

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No matter what kind of camera you have, go outside and practice using the continuous mode. And as you do, start a conversation with God. He’d love to hear from you more than once.

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Come Back Tomorrow

Come back tomorrow when I share sunset photos that left me awestruck for the next installment of 28 Days Behind the Lens.