student asking question

Can it be "when taking the shot" instead here?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Good question! You could say it, but it would imply something slightly different. Here, "to take" means the possible moment of taking a picture, whereas "taking" would mean within the process and action of taking a picture. So, if they said "when taking the shot," it would mean that while they were taking the shot, they weren't sure about something. "When to take a shot" means the right moment or time to execute the action. Ex: When editing photos, I like to make sure it's the right size first. Ex: I never know when to edit photos during the week. Ex: I hit my head when I was walking downstairs. Ex: I'm not sure where to walk so I can avoid the puddles.

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