In photography, there are many checklists you have to run through. Some examples are those for bringing along all the right equipment, specific shooting methods on location, and even etiquette during event shoots.

Perhaps, though, the most important checklist is the one that you should go through right before you release the shutter button. After all, when you finally take a shot, that’s it! There’s no doing it over.

Yeah, you can take as many photographs to perfect the shot, if you will, but why not do it right the very first time? By simply running through a simple, mental checklist prior to the shutter release, you’ll knock out killer photographs each and every time. Here’s how you do it.

ISO

One of the basics of great photography, the ISO serves as the basis for the shutter speed and aperture that you’ll use for your snapshot (also referred to as the exposure triangle). That’s why knowledge of how much light is present during your shoot and what a suitable ISO is are vital.

Choosing the correct ISO depends on the light situation around you. Many photographers are typically accustomed, by default, to using the lowest ISO that’s available to them. Unfortunately, that’s more of an idealistic way of thinking about photography situations.

In reality, though, ISO has to be adjusted depending on the aforementioned light conditions. For instance:

• Outside in sunny situations: ISO 100 or 200
• Overcast sky or evening light: ISO 400 or 800
• Night or indoor low-light situations: ISO 1600

Settings Check

The camera settings greatly influence how your picture will turn out, so it pays to quickly ensure that everything’s proper before you press the shutter button. It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting in manual or auto-checking the settings is something that you should get in the habit of doing. You’ve got to know if the camera has to compensate exposure, after all.

Sure, your scene can have nice lighting and an attractive background, yet this won’t matter if your settings aren’t capable of capturing it. That’s why reviewing your settings before every snap is a must.

Aperture Considerations

One of the most significant aspects of an image turning out the way you want it to is getting the aperture right. This is a good rule of thumb to follow: Pick an aperture that compliments the story you’re telling in your frame.

The way you pick aperture usually lets you do two things. First, it allows you to put a whole scene in focus. Alternately, it lets you isolate your subject from the background.

The first method is perfect if you’re shooting landscapes, and the second is ideal for when you’re a portrait photographer.

Composition

Composition can make or break your picture, so recommended that you ask yourself if you’ve set up the scene’s elements in the best way possible before you let go of the shutter. Before releasing the shutter button, look through the viewfinder to spot any elements in the frame that actually shouldn’t be there.

These are elements that don’t do your scene any favors and detract from the story you want to tell. It’s almost guaranteed that there will always be such elements before you give the scene the once-over. So ask yourself what you really want to keep in the shot, what can and should be cropped out, and the overall angle.

For instance, if there’s a kid’s birthday party that you’re shooting, then an element like an old computer in the background would detract from the overall story of the image.

Exercise discipline when mentally deciding on what to include and exclude. If something in the frame isn’t working to help advance the story, then chances are good that it’s doing more to work against your shot!

Away From the Viewfinder

Just before your finger releases the shutter button, it is a highly intelligent decision to abandon the view through the viewfinder for just a second and watch the scene you’re about to photograph with your own eyes, in real life. You’ll get a more realistic impression of what’s going on this way, without the confine of the viewfinder.

To help get you to see the scene away from the viewfinder, try using a tripod for extra stability. A tripod will let you take your eye away from the viewfinder for several seconds, and you won’t have to worry about any camera shake. Not having to keep your mind on the camera lets you truly watch the scene unfold in real life before your eyes. So long as your subject stays in the frame, you’ll have plenty of time to decide if the shot is great and worthy of a shutter button press.

Subject Inspection

Finally, make sure that the subject you’re shooting is perfect before snapping away. Check on them, too: Ensure that, in the case of portrait photography, his or her clothes are neat, hair is well-groomed, and makeup is nicely applied.

Oh, and give lighting the once-over again. It should not be spotty or inconsistent. This could drop lighting on places on your subjects that are unflattering.

If you have more than two people in the frame, get them to help out your case as well. Tell them to inspect each other, so that you have two pairs of eyes inspecting that at least the subjects in the shot are fine and presentable before you click the shutter button!

Don’t Release That Shutter so Quickly

Don’t be so quick to click the shutter button the next time you’re on a shoot. Doing so means that you won’t have the necessary time to go over this common sense checklist of things you should be doing anyway.

By checking all of these things before shooting, you’ll get much better results from your photography. Nothing can be taken for granted because even slight imperfections will show up in your images, and that’s not going to do you or your career justice. So take a little extra time, and create images truly worthy of your portfolio.