Oftentimes, I see a shot in my mind's eye. It is when the composition, distance, lighting all come to me almost instinctively.
I adjust the tripod, set the aperture, adjust the exposure, seek a precise focus.
Then I check it all again.
Shot. Adjustment. Shot. I got it. The technical is through.
I repeat this with different angles and shots . . .
Then it happens.
I breathe and look and ponder and realize that the beauty that had lured me into the shot in the first place has taken hold of my spirit. I relax and enjoy what is before me. It is the dessert in the search for the perfect shot.