Great photographs, like great wine, take time to develop. You've heard the phrase...'keep shooting and the shot will eventually come to you'. It's true. I've proven this over and over again in my career.

Great photographs (and I mean the really great ones) generally happen when photographer and subject are comfortable with each other. It rarely happens at the beginning of a shot. For the simple reason that chemistry hasn't kicked in. And it's chemistry, not mechanics, that contributes most to getting that priceless shot.

It also doesn't happen at the end of the shoot when fatigue and routine have reared their ugly heads. It happens somewhere in the middle. So you've got to be on the lookout for it.

The key, as a portraiturist, is to have the proper expectations going into the shoot. Don't put pressure on yourself or your subject to nail the shot right away.

I always start a session, indoor or outdoor, with what I call 'warm up' shots. Similar to how pro athletes 'warm up' before a big competition, I tend to move slower and more casual during this 'warm up'. And I take more time to get the subjects I'm shooting engaged in the process of the shoot. This usually takes 5-10 minutes. Then I kick up the pace and energy a notch or two and move to the next part of the shoot.

It is usually in this next part where patience pays off, big time. If both you and your subject are comfortable with the goals of the shoot (the first thing you should have explained), then it's easy to get on the same page and work toward the same objectives - getting killer shots!

If you don't feel like your 'getting' the shot, by all means...keep shooting. Keep reinforcing positive energy and support with your subject. True patience has a peculiar way of rewarding you.

I generally know, in my heart, when I've 'got the shot'. I know it long before I see the edit in Aperture (or Lightroom :) ). And on those rare occasions that I 'missed' the shot, I can usually trace it back to impatience.

Patience relaxes you. It relaxes your subject. It relaxes your crew. Go with the flow. And good things will come out of it. Don't force the shot. Let it develop. Let it come to you.

Keep in mind that a lot of subjects are as anxious and impatient as you to get the shot. You're in control. You set the pace. When you're patient, your subject will naturally become more patient. When you emote the least amount of impatience, it's an atmosphere killer. And interferes with you getting what you want. And what your subject wants.

Patience is a virtue. Model it. Embrace it. Practice it!