Digital Photography 101
Chapter 3: Composition and Shooting Techniques
3.4: Handling and holding a camera
Hand holding a camera requires a steady hand and therefore a sturdy
stance.
Place one foot in front of the other and squeeze the shutter rather
then jab at it. Keeping shutter blur to a minimum is essential especially
at shutter speeds at or below your focal length. 60th of second
being the minimum you can safely hand hold a camera. Modern Vibration
Reduction systems VR also help at even lower shutter speeds
The more expensive professional SLR cameras are larger and have
a vertical grip and even a second shutter button, creating an excellent
platform to support the camera. You may find holding out your palm
under your camera provides a good support.
You should always use a strap on your camera and you can either
wrap this around your wrist or place it around your neck to rest
the camera. Always use it to some degree, as you don't want to drop
your camera. Put it around your neck if you're shooting over water
or a cliff.
Tripods are essential in slower shutter speeds. The taller more
sturdy tripods are great for general use as the added weight will
stop it blowing over and give maximum support to the camera. The
idea is to prevent any movement. A lightweight aluminium tripod
is excellent for hiking and for supporting lighting systems, including
a remote flash. Watch the wind and your expensive gear. When using
a tripod make sure you use your self-timer feature so you don't
have to touch the camera during shooting. It also means you can
lift up your head and smile to encourage your portrait subjects.
You will be amazed at how relaxed this can make them look. Otherwise
use an off camera shutter release button often attached by a short
cord. A tripod spells professional and at a wedding where everyone
has a camera of sorts it identifies you as the official photographer.
It will also keep other photographers from invading your space in
an attempt to steel the attention of your subjects. Thirdly it will
slow down the process and make you think more about your composition.
As you can see a tripod is more then a form of support at slow
shutter speeds. Another pod is the monopod, which is often seen
on sports sidelines to support large aperture telephoto lenses.
They are easy to move around and extend to the all important eye
level. A sports photographer will be using one to reduce fatigue
and RSI, which can come from holding a heavy camera and long lens
over a period of time. It will take the weight off your back. I
have personally suffered from tennis elbow caused by heavy cameras
in my less attentive days. It can take a long time to come right,
so it is best to be avoided by using a pod. Tripods come in all
sorts of price ranges and I choose to use the average models with
the plastic heads. I would rather spend my money on better glass
and replace a tripod in future years if need be.
Next we will have a more detailed look at exposure and how it
works.
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