Instructor Insights: Timing is Everything in Photography:

Something I read in one of the books of martial philosophy I have around the place (yes, I have strange reading habits) goes something like "When the hawk breaks the body of its prey it is not because of strength, it is because of timing".

Photography's like that. It's not about how good your kit is, but it is about how good your timing is.

brenda over at BetterPhoto gives a great couple of examples of the difference between a good photo, and a good photo taken at just the right moment.

Like Brenda, I tend to use continuous shooting a lot - it doesn't guarantee getting the timing right, but more shots fired give you a better chance of capturing the perfect moment. Sure, it's a machine gun approach, but automatic rifles are used for a reason.

Of course, sometimes, you take that single shot and just get very lucky... like I did, in this post's photo...