Understanding The Different Shutter Release Modes
To effectively shoot wildlife action photos, it is important to know the various shutter release modes available on your camera and when to use each one.
The simplest shutter-release mode is single frame. You press the shutter button and one photo is taken. This is an effective mode for wildlife when they are stationary or slow-moving.
When wildlife exhibits significant action or motion, you will want to make sure that your camera is in continuous release mode. This means that when you press the shutter button, the camera will continually take photos until its memory buffer is full. More expensive cameras have larger buffers and can generally take more photos in succession.
Often cameras have a continuous low speed and continuous high speed mode. Depending on camera model capabilities, this could vary between 3 frames per second (fps) and up to 20 fps on the fastest camera out there today. Moderately-paced action may be appropriate for low-speed continuous shooting where you don’t want to fill your card with similar shots. High speed action, like birds in flight, aggressive fights or hunting behaviors may demand the fastest release mode that your camera is capable of. Just have plenty of memory cards and batteries on hand when you are extensively using high frame rates. Also, if you anticipate sudden bursts of action, make sure that your camera is set to continuous release mode prior to the action happening.
Note that the maximum frame rate on your camera will vary depending on shutter speed. It can also vary based on the camera acquiring focus. For example, Nikon cameras allow you to have the shutter prioritize either release or focus. When release is prioritized, it will continue to take photos, even if focus is not achieved on each frame. Switching to focus priority makes the camera wait until focus is acquired before taking the next frame. There is also a mode that prioritizes focus on the first frame and release on subsequent frames. Other manufacturers have similar capabilities.
For experienced shooters, we generally recommend to use one of the settings that prioritizes release over focus. In our experience having more frames increases our chances of capturing key moments, knowing that occasionally focus can catch on other objects in the scene. If you are new to wildlife photography or not yet confident in your ability to keep your focus point on fast-moving action, switching your priority to focus can ensure a higher in-focus rate, though with a lower number of frames taken.