Pressing button sounds like doesn’t important thing, but for beginner whose just bought camera, this is the quite important thing that you must know. Because when you press the shutter button properly, so camera will works more optimum. The thing that you must know is  technique to press the shutter button determine how camera in metering and autofocus process. ( read also metering and autofocus article).

   Direct your camera to the object that you will shoot, then press the shutter down but don’t  press it full. Firstly,  press it more or less an half without release your finger  from button.  You will recognize the smooth boundaries that say “ oh, stop here first, i wanna think for a while”. At that moment you give the time for camera  autofocus mechanism to analyze photo object, find the focus point and then lock the focus.

When focus is loocked, camera will confirm that he has got focus and usually tell us about where is the focus point is loocked with small rectangle view with the bright shining ( in viewfinder- DSLR nor LCD- pocket camera). Along focus point placed in the spot what yo want, it means the camera has been done autofocus properly. In this fase,  you can also set the composition again, slide the view angle while camera keep locking the focus. At this time camera is also doing metering toward photo object that exist in frame.

       After you’ve locked focus with the photo preview what you want, camera will sign with”beep” sound automatically. In this point , it’s the time to full pressing the shutter button and camera will take the picture that what you want.

     Half press process- waith- full press , this process is quite crucial if you use autofocus camera, and technically named pre-focus. If you are reckless to press the button untill full in the first chance without half  press process, there'are possibilities that camera ca’t find the focus point suitable with what you want also the metering can’t work maximum.

 images source : balinor