Chances are you’re spending more time out and about during the summer. If you’re going to a social gathering, chances are you’ll have a camera with you (not including your phone). As you’re snapping pictures, you’ll undoubtedly be looking at them on your digital camera to see how they turned out. If they’re not turning out quite the way you want, try these tips for better candid shots.

Taking great candid pictures is easy!

It’s a lot of fun because you never know what’s going to happen in any given moment. But to be prepared to get the best possible snapshot, try these five tips

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1. Have Your Camera with You—Always: How many times have you been at a gathering and reached for your camera, only to snap your fingers when you realize you don’t have it with you? Knowing basic photo techniques can help, but you have to do your part, too. Never forget to bring your camera!
2. Take Lots of Pictures:  One of the advantages of living in the digital photography era is that you don’t have to worry about the number of shots you have left on your roll of film. Be sure to snap many pictures all the time. You never know which image will be pure gold later.
3. Turn off the Flash: The idea of taking a candid shot means your subject doesn’t know you’re shooting him or her. The flash is a sure distraction. If you’re in a lower light setting, try increasing your ISO setting, open up your aperture, and use a faster shutter speed to maintain quality.
4. Be in the Right Place at the Right Time: There’s a balance between not being noticed and being off in a corner, too far away to see anything. You always want to be around the action, but not in the middle of it. That means be mobile, part of the crowd, but not the center of attention.
5. Catch the Action: Candid photography is all about capturing the action of any event, even the smaller actions. Take as many shots as you can of people interacting with other people. When it comes to capturing the action, photograph people doing everything from laughing to jumping up and down.

These tips are the basics of candid photography. They’ll help you get the most out of your shots and truly capture the moment.