In a method and apparatus to generate a magnetic resonance (MR) image in a volume of interest of an examination subject, the magnetization is excited in an additional volume in the subject by at least one RF pulse, in order to achieve a desired magnetization in the volume of interest. The additional excitation volume differs at least partially from the volume of interest. For this purpose, at least one MR overview image of the examination subject is analyzed automatically to determine a position of at least one anatomical structure of the examination subject, from which the volume of interest is automatically determined. The additional excitation volume is automatically determined using the position of the at least one anatomical structure. The MR image in the volume of interest is acquired with excitation of the magnetization in the automatically determined additional excitation volume.
