Keep your camera still – 01

Hand held

Most photography requires the photographer to keep the camera still. The less camera movement that is allowed, the sharper the photograph. Most of us would take more photographs with a hand-held camera rather than a supported camera. Here are a few suggestions:

·        Feet should be comfortably apart, about shoulder width.

·        Brace elbows into the body.

·        When ready to take the shot, hold your breath.

·        Place your right thumb under the camera so that when you depress the shutter, you are applying the pressure from both top and bottom.

·        Don’t rush the shot.

Makeshift

• Rest the camera on the top of a fence post

• Rest the camera on a table. A bean-bag or little bag of wheat allow some adjustment of direction.

• Hold the camera tight against a vertical surface such as a wall.

• The photo below shows my simple solution to getting down to subjects close to the ground such as small wildflowers. I joined two pieces of 75mm X 50mm pine to form a right-angled base then mounted a pan and tilt head to support the camera.

My six foot stepladder also has a hole drilled in the top so that a pan and tilt head can be mounted. This is higher than most tripods and will allow photos to be taken over the heads of a crowd or over other obstacles. Suitable for concerts or parades.

Tripod
Probably one of the simplest and most common means of supporting a camera is a tripod. A tripod offers good stability even on uneven surfaces. All three legs are adjustable for height so that subjects at varying heights can be matched with the height of the camera above the surrounding ground, or even to look up to down-facing subjects. For subjects higher or lower than the range of the tripod, it may be necessary, especially in low light conditions, to find other ways to support the camera at a suitable height. See the above section on makeshift camera supports.
At the top of the legs is the head of the tripod, the normal types being pan-and-tilt and ball-and-socket. Each type has its advantages but either type can be used in most circumstances.

Monopod

Gorillapod

Pistol Grip

Rifle grip