Do I need high FPS to get good pictures of children?
If I have a camera with a relatively slow burst rate, is it still possible to get pictures as good as I could get by holding down the shutter button of a camera which captures many frames per second?
Children not only move quickly, but their best expressions are so fleeting. It seems like it might be important to have many different instants captured in quick succession, so I have options to choose from.
Without a high framerate, is it a matter of getting lucky, or is there a way to guarantee good results? (Or at least to increase their chances?)
I've even heard people say that an experienced photographer can take a better photo with a single shot than one can get with many "pray and spray" frames. Is this hyperbole, or is it really true?
If there is a better way, what's the secret? Can one learn and practice it, or is it an inherent skill? (Or something that just develops through time?)
(Inspired by this comment.)
Answer
If you have a viewfinder, I would bring the camera up to your eye, and pre-focus if possible, then just wait it out for that perfect moment. If the subject moves considerably, you have to keep pre-focusing by pressing down the shutter button halfway until you are ready to fully depress it and capture an image.
If you do not have a viewfinder, the LCD screen is an option, but not quite as good in my experience. The feeling of looking through the viewfinder is a benefit to me.
I think if you consistently think about getting a great shot, you are more likely to do it. Pretend you are using film, and each snap is costing you money. This will help you to think about the shots and try to capture the best expression. Sure, not every image will be perfect, but getting out of the "high FPS/unlimited memory/free image" mindset of digital will help anyone to produce higher quality images more consistently.
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