Heavenly, and the Value of Burst Mode (#331) 06-22-13

Well, Olympus calls it Release/ Drive modes. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 can be set for single frame (one shutter release when the button is pushed), Sequential Shooting H (bursts up to 9 frames per second), or Sequential Shooting L (bursts up to 4 frames per second). I have mine set for up to 4 frames per second.

I usually shoot short bursts for two reasons:

1. Occasionally, with three or four "identical" images, one may be a teeny bit sharper than the other. At least that's how it was with my Nikon D90.

2. One can sometimes get micro gestures from a subject that are fleeting, and easily missed when only one frame is captured.

And, so it was with Heavenly (yes, that's her name). At about 10:45AM, I saw Heavenly setting up outdoor tables at McCabes Irish Pub and Grill, in Naples, FL. There were no customers, so I presumed that she might afford me a few moments of her time, but certainly no more. When I approached her, she was friendly and agreeable. Perhaps she thought that I might later eat there (I didn't).    She was from Rhode Island, and recently had moved to Naples. She thinks that south Florida is..., well, Heavenly.

As usual, I shot a few quick bursts of three or four images. At first I got a smile with teeth that seemed a little too cheesy for my taste. So I asked her to just be  herself, and wiped my hand over my face, from top to bottom, leaving a deadpan expression. This worked. The final burst of three I liked. Numbers one and three of that burst comprise this diptych. Notice the change in expression. The image in the right has more of a hint of a smile.

And I can see it in the eyes. I prefer this image – a subtle "eye" smile that is a bit ambiguous.

The point is this; checking the metadata, these images were captured in the same second. This change in micro gesture occurred in less than a second. One shot only, or a camera that refreshes slowly, and this gesture is lost.

Burst mode can be a good thing.

Bob