Opinion: Stop 'spraying and praying' and you'll improve as a photographer

By Mike Harris
published

Spray-and-pray won't help your photography! If you shoot first and ask questions later, try a more considered approach

Opinion: Stop 'spraying and praying' and you'll improve as a photographer
(Image credit: Courtney Cook on Unsplash)

When Tiger Woods hits a golf ball, he doesn’t just take the shot. He has a few practice swings and then stands behind the ball to visualize where it’ll land; only then does he step up to the tee, plant his feet and swing. This pre-hit routine is more than just a ritual – it affords him the time to relax, take stock and set himself up for success with his shot. 

Similar tactics are replicated, physically and mentally, throughout the sporting world and beyond – and I’m willing to bet that us photographers can learn a thing or two by implementing them into our own shooting routines. Now, I’m not suggesting you bend your legs and cup your hands like Johnny Wilkinson every time you take a photo, but I am suggesting that you take the time to visualize and assess what you want to achieve, periodically during each shoot.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Technique Editor

Mike is Deputy Editor for N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, and brings with him over 10 years experience writing both freelance and for some of the biggest specialist publications. Prior to joining N-Photo Mike was the production editor for the content marketing team of Wex Photo Video, the UK’s largest online specialist photographic retailer, where he sharpened his skills in both the stills and videography spheres.  


While he’s an avid motorsport photographer, his skills extend to every genre of photography – making him one of Digital Camera World’s top tutors for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters and other imaging equipment, as well as sharing his expertise on shooting everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks. 

Related articles