Avoiding Camera Shake

Today’s Photo Tips: Camera shake is probably one of the most common causes of un-sharp images. Assuming you have a good lens, have it accurately focused, and have chosen the correct aperture and shutter speed, camera shake remains your next biggest problem. Here are some simple tips that will help you to reduce camera shake. Taking Handheld Pictures:  You can vastly improve your chances of taking sharp pictures by developing proper procedures and stable hand-holding techniques with your camera. Make sure the shutter speed is faster than the effective focal length of the lens, e.g. 1/80 sec for an 80mm focal length. Make sure the lens or camera's  image stabilization is turned on. When standing, first, wrap the camera strap around your elbow and pull it taught. Cradle the lens underneath with one hand while gripping the camera body with your finger on the shutter with the other. Finding something to lean on or against, such as a tree, fence post, large boulder or some other type of stationary object will always help to reduce camera shake. Spread your feet shoulder distance, with one foot slightly behind the other. Sometimes kneeling down and placing your left elbow on your knee will provide greater stability. Always take a deep breath and hold your breathing during the shot. However, no matter how stable you can handhold your camera, there’s no getting away from it: assuming that the support is sturdy enough to hold the combined weight of your lens and camera, and you follow good technique, using a tripod or monopod will give you the best chance to avoid camera shake and get sharper pictures. Using a Monopod:  In a word, the biggest advantage of a monopod is portability. Because most monopods are light and can be reduced down to about 24 inches, you can easily move it with you with camera and lens attached. Activate your lens or camera's image stabilization feature. Insure that you have a proper stance and placement of the monopod STANCE #1: The most common use is to place the foot of the monopod straight out in front of you. Standing with your own legs square and spread to approximate shoulder width, put the foot of the monopod roughly centered between your legs, straight out in front of them so that the foot of the monopod ends up forming a triangle - similar to that of a tripod.  Place the monopod in front of you so that when you tilt it back to bring the camera to your eye, it forms a 45 degree angle. NOTE: You will have to increase its length by quite a bit to get the 45 degree tilt and still have it at eye level.  Your camera should be attached to a swivel head. Tilt it forward so that when the camera is at your eye, the lens is level even though the monopod is leaning at 45 degrees.  When you are shooting, get into a good solid stance, and hold the camera firmly against your face. You now have a virtual tripod that is every bit as good as most actual tripods–with the added benefit of being easy to work with. STANCE #2: The second most common use is to brace the foot of the monopod against the instep of your rear foot. In this method, stand with your hips at a slight angle to your shoulder, with one foot slightly behind with the foot of the monopod braced up against the instep of the rear foot and the pole angled to your other leg for additional bracing. STANCE #3: The final stance is to place the foot of the monopod between your legs, with the foot of the monopod closer to, but behind the leading foot. In this stance the leg of the monopod braces against the leading leg of the photographer to give more stability. NOTE: As noted in stance #1 above, these stances will cause the monopod leg to be tipped at an angle, necessitating the need for an adjustable monopod head to maintain a level plane for the camera. For smooth results, make sure you are free to rotate your body to cover the area that your subject is likely to be moving through. When taking the shot, press down on the monopod slightly by placing your hand on top of the lens rather than holding onto the monopod itself. The important thing to remember here is that using another part of your body to brace the monopod against it will increase stability. Try each method and determine which is best suited for your shooting needs and style. Using a Tripod:  Because tripods are bigger and heavier, they are obviously more stable. The tripod (with remote shutter release) is essential for those crystal-clear nature shots where all camera motion must be eliminated. In addition, a tripod offers stand-alone features like setting it up and using a remote to snap pictures from a distance as well as the ability to take time exposures. Turn your camera or lens' stabilization features off for shutter speeds greater than 1/4-sec. When setting up the tripod, always make sure that you extend the thickest leg sections first. When shooting on grass or soft ground, push the feet down into the surface to give it extra stability. When on rock or hard ground, try to keep the legs more vertical and make sure the feet won’t slip or slide. Sometimes adding some weight to the tripods central column can add stability, especially on windy days.