Photo Challenge: 1-2-3 Capturing a Sequence

When I think of a sequence of photographs, I think of a group of pictures that has a distinct order. For example, one photo must logically come before another in order to make sense of the subject. As you shoot photographs, you probably often capture sequences of three to four pictures that show an activity from start to finish. Sequence photographs are a great way to show the passage of time and tell a story from start to finish, using photographs.

I asked Kayla Richards and Denise Gormish to join me in taking a 1-2-3 challenge of capturing a sequence and then sharing their experiences and tips.

Capture emotion and expressions as they happen. I know that since having a child, the shutter button on my camera is almost always pressed down in continuous shooting mode! Usually, I just hope for one great photo, but sometimes I'll catch a series of expressions, or catch my daughter mid-wave (as in the example below), and then the sequence of photos is more valuable than the one perfect photo would ever be.

I love the stages of expression shown in these pictures. Even though each was only a brief second, using the sport-mode continuous-shooting option on my camera allowed me to capture surprise, excitement, joy and concentration all at once.

I used a Canon Digital Rebel EOS camera in automatic mode. This series of photos was taken using the "sport" mode with no flash.

Emotional and expressive moments to capture in sequence photographs:

• someone entering a surprise party
• opening a gift
• handing a new father his newborn baby
• a child's reaction to an excited puppy

Show action or motion as it happens. Action is difficult to capture in still photographs, but by capturing a sequence of pictures, you can combine several still shots and your brain will fill in the gaps, helping you to "see" the action.

The following images are three shots of Denise's dog Arthur going over a jump. The images consist of the following: setting up for the jump from a standstill, running and leaping over a jump and finally, landing and running toward Denise.

I used a fixed 50 mm on a digital Canon Rebel SLR. I took the images at f/1.1.8 1/500 and ISO 200 to catch the motion without blurring it. I used that aperture to get the depth of field I wanted so the focus would remain on the dog. To get the shots in a sequence I crouched down to get mostly level with the jump. I stood far enough away so I wouldn't have to back up while the shot was being taken. I did try backing up but the landing shots all ended up blurry, probably because the dog and I were both in motion.

Action moments to capture in sequence:

• a runner crossing a finish line
• a baby learning to walk
• a child going down a slide

Show the steps in a process. A sequence of photos doesn't have to be taken within seconds. It can be a great way to show a process of nearly anything and all the various steps from start to finish. Kayla Richards decided to demonstrate the various stages of baking.

I used manual settings for all of the images, and they were all taken inside: some with natural light and some using the overhead lighting. I didn't use flash for any of them. I tried to find angles that would make the photos interesting and fun. They were taken with the Canon 30D and I used the 50 mm lens for all. The aperture was set at 1.8 so I could use the fastest shutter speed possible (to avoid blurry indoor photos). Sometimes you can only get a little piece of the photo "in focus" with such a low aperture, but if you move more directly above the subject, so you're not shooting from the side, more of the subject will be "in focus." Some of the images were cropped using Photoshop, and the saturation was also increased on some.

Step-by-step processes to capture in a sequence:

• building a snowman
• knitting a sweater
• setting up and decorating a Christmas tree

Reveal changes made over time. These photos obviously weren't taken within minutes-they were made over many months. But, they do show a sequence of changes as my belly grew.

Every week during my pregnancy, I put on the same outfit and stood in front of the same red wall in my bedroom to take photos of my growing belly. At the end of the 9 months, I had a photographic diary of my changing body.

Other ideas for over-time sequences:

• home improvement projects
• month-by-month pictures of baby's first year
• seasonal photos of a tree

The next time you're shooting photographs, look for opportunities to capture a sequence. If a photo is worth a 1000 words, imagine the value of several pictures!

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