SPECIAL
Words and Photography Lisa Michele Burns | OM SYSTEM Ambassador
SPECIAL
Words and Photography Lisa Michele Burns | OM SYSTEM Ambassador
If you’ve ever tried to photograph anything that moves, shifts, or disappears just as quickly as it appeared, you’ll know the feeling. The one that got away. The shot you clicked a fraction too late. Or the moment you didn’t recognise until it had already passed.
It’s a familiar frustration, and one that doesn’t always come down to timing alone.
When working with natural subjects, whether it’s wildlife, landscapes, or even people, you can’t always control or anticipate exactly what will happen. Movement doesn’t follow a script, and conditions rarely stay consistent for long.
Sometimes the moment arrives just before the action. Sometimes it happens right at its peak. And sometimes it appears in the instant just after, in a gesture, an expression, or a fleeting detail.
The key to capturing those micro moments isn’t to predict them perfectly.
It’s to be ready for them.
WHAT IS A MICRO-MOMENT?
Micro-moments exist within that split-second where something changes.
They might happen just before a bird takes flight, as a wave reaches its peak, or in the instant after a subject shifts direction. They are brief, sometimes beautifully unpredictable, and easy to overlook, especially when working in environments where light, movement, and behaviour are constantly changing.
Rather than thinking of them as a single type of moment, it helps to see them as a window, a fraction of time where something aligns, even if only briefly.
Wildlife
The instant a bird lifts into the air, wings extended, or the subtle shift just before it leaves the ground, fluffing its feathers in preparation.
Landscapes
A wave cresting, light catching the spray, or the moment just after it breaks. Clouds parting just as the sky erupts over a mountain peak for a brief second, or as the sun sparkles through the smallest of cracks for a millisecond.
People
A glance, a pause, or a shift in direction that adds a sense of story to the frame or produces a shadow, a smile, or an expression that makes the image pop.
These are the moments we chase as photographers, the ones we wait for, seek out, and cross our fingers and toes we’ll capture among a series of snapshots.
ANTICIPATING MOVEMENT
While not every micro-moment can be predicted, many are preceded by subtle signals that something is about to happen.
A shift in posture, a change in pace, or a slight interaction between light and subject can all hint at what’s coming next. These cues are easy to overlook, but with a little time and observation, they begin to stand out.
When you arrive at a scene, it’s worth resisting the instinct to begin shooting straight away. Spending a few minutes watching what’s happening allows patterns to emerge, whether that’s behaviour, movement, or the way light interacts with the landscape.
The more you observe, the easier it becomes to recognise when something might be about to happen, even if you can’t predict it exactly.
And when you start to notice those signals, you’re already better prepared for when that magic moment arrives.
Focus Tip
As you begin to notice where movement might occur, it helps to pre-focus on that area rather than reacting once it happens. This reduces focus lag and allows you to respond more quickly, even when the moment arrives unexpectedly.
When photographing wildlife, aim to keep focus on the eyes. Motion in wings or limbs can still convey movement, but if the eyes aren’t sharp, the image often loses its connection.
SETTING THINGS UP
Recognising a moment is only part of the process, but being technically ready to capture it is what determines whether you get the shot at all.
Fast-moving scenes leave little time to adjust your settings, so it helps to prepare in advance if possible. A shutter speed that’s too slow, a focus mode that struggles to keep up, or exposure that shifts unexpectedly due to highlighted areas or shadows can all result in missed opportunities, even when your timing is right.
Establishing a reliable baseline before anything happens allows you to respond instantly, rather than reacting too late. Your ISO and shutter speed will depend on the available light, speed of the subject, and conditions of the scene, but here is a simple starting point:
Shutter speed
1/1600s – 1/3200s to freeze fast movement.
Aperture
f/5.6 – f/7.1 for flexibility and depth (f/2.8 if you love bokeh!)
ISO
Adjusted to maintain shutter speed.
Focus mode
Single point or small cluster for precision.
Drive mode
Burst or Pro Capture.
You may not be able to predict exactly when the moment will happen, but with the right setup, you can ensure you’re ready when it does.
COMPOSING WITH WRIGGLE ROOM
When working with micro-moments, composition isn’t just about how a scene looks and fits into the frame, but how it allows space for something to happen.
Because the timing of these moments can’t always be predicted, your frame needs to be flexible enough to accommodate movement, change, and the unexpected.
Rather than composing tightly around a subject, it often helps to leave space within the frame, particularly in the direction where movement is likely to occur. This creates room for the scene to evolve, rather than feeling constrained or incomplete.
Once your composition is set, holding that frame becomes just as important. Constantly adjusting or reframing in response to movement often leads to missed opportunities, whereas a stable composition allows the moment to arrive within it.
When you compose with space and intent, you’re not just framing what’s in front of you, but preparing for what might happen next.
Direction + Grid Guides
Positioning your subject slightly off-centre allows space within the frame, creating a more natural sense of flow and reducing the risk of clipping key elements when the moment happens.
Using grid guides within your viewfinder can make this easier to apply in the field. A rule-of-thirds grid provides a simple visual reference for placing your subject and leaving space ahead of its likely direction, helping you build a composition that’s ready before the moment occurs.
PRO CAPTURE AND PRE-CAPTURE: EXTENDING THE MOMENT
Even with anticipation and preparation, some micro-moments happen faster than instinct alone can keep up with. This is where high-speed shooting modes and pre-capture features can make a real difference in reducing the frustration of missed shots and giving you a bit more control in that split second.
Some camera models, such as the OM SYSTEM OM-1 MK II, have innovative tools like Pro Capture, which begin buffering frames as soon as the shutter is half-pressed.
When the shutter is fully pressed, that sequence is saved, including frames captured just before the moment you reacted. Yes… before. It feels a little like magic the first time you use it.
Combined with high-speed sequential shooting, capable of capturing up to around 120 frames per second in certain modes, this allows you to record not only the moment itself, but the subtle transitions either side of it.
In practice, this shifts how you approach timing entirely. Rather than relying on a single, perfectly timed frame, you’re working with a sequence that captures the lead-up, the peak, and the instant just after, where some of the most unexpected frames often exist.
Once you get used to shooting this way, it actually frees you up to focus more on composition and creativity. The camera handles the capture of multiple frames, and you get to select the one where everything comes together afterwards.
A quick reminder
If you switch into Pro Capture or a high-speed sequential mode, don’t forget to switch it back. Unless you’re particularly passionate about having 400 identical photos of a door.
FIELD NOTES STELLER’S SEA EAGLE IN FLIGHT
Photographed at sunrise in the Nemuro Strait near Rausu in Eastern Hokkaido, this sequence captures a Steller’s Sea Eagle as it scans the surroundings before taking flight from the drift ice.
Sequence - Image 1
Sequence - Image 2
Sequence - Image 3
Sequence - Image 4
Sequence - Image 5
Sequence - Image 6
With temperatures hovering below zero degrees, ice on the deck of our boat, and crisp ocean air, my hands, despite being in gloves, felt frozen, which meant I was slow to react in the moment. They were so cold I could barely feel my finger moving each time I pressed the button so I opted to shoot with Pro Capture and focused on the bird while it remained relatively still, holding a half-press on the shutter and anticipating that it would eventually take off. Once that movement began, I fully pressed the shutter, capturing a sequence of frames with subtle variations in wing position and posture, each lasting only a fraction of a second.
While the third image is the strongest in a traditional sense, the sequence also highlights how quickly these moments unfold. Looking back, I could have allowed for more space in the frame by choosing a wider focal length, allowing for greater flexibility as the wings extended, but at the time, I was just happy to watch these majestic birds and attempt to stay warm.
Interestingly, one of the final frames, reduced to just the eagle’s claws, became a favourite of mine. It’s not the expected result, but it reflects how these sequences often reveal unexpected details within the movement.
Second sequence- Image 1
Second sequence- Image 2
Second sequence- Image 3
A second sequence shows the eagle gripping a fish, with droplets of water suspended mid-air, creating a micro-moment that adds texture and impact. The first frame allowed focus to be set, while the following frames captured the action as it developed.
QUICK TIPS
Take time to observe
before you begin photographing.
Look for patterns
in behaviour, movement, and light.
Pre-focus on your subject
before movement occurs.
Compose your frame early
and allow space for movement.
Use Pro Capture or burst modes
for a rapid sequence of shots.
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