Steady As She Goes – Camera Handholding Techniques

With the advent of the modern digital camera, keeping the camera steady in low light and with larger focal length lenses is not the problem it was back in the days of film. It’s easy to set the ISO higher or turn on Auto ISO to get higher shutter speeds. But there’s a tradeoff when using a higher ISO in that you are sacrificing image quality and picking up noise in order to keep the image sharp.

Rather than using technology to compensate for those longer exposures, that longer focal length lens, or just bad camera handling, why not adopt some tried and true handholding techniques to steady your camera? Of course, the best method would be to use a tripod or monopod. But sometimes using a tripod isn’t an option. And if you’re like me, tripods just slow you down. I tend to shoot using a photojournalistic approach, meaning I shoot fast and always on the move.

Here are a few of the techniques I’ve used over the years to steady my handheld camera.

1. With camera in hand, you should have a good solid grip, but not tense. If your knuckles are turning white, you’re holding your camera too tight. Relax a little.

2. Typically, your right hand will hold the cameras grip while controlling the many dials and buttons including the shutter release. The left hand will support the weight of the camera and the fingers will control the focus and zoom rings on the lens if needed.

3. You’re going to use your entire body as firm support and acting as a tripod. With the camera to your eye, your elbows should be tucked in tight against your body acting as two legs of the tripod. Your face will act as the third tripod leg. No chicken wings with your elbows pointing outward. If your elbows are out, not only are you going to have shaky camera work, but you will tire fast which will just compound the problem.

4. If available, brace yourself against something solid like a tree, wall, pole or doorway. If nothing is available and it won’t have an negative impact on your composition, then try sitting down, squatting, or knelling and resting your elbows on your legs. Lying down on the ground with your arms and camera out in front of you also works well.

5. Try placing your camera on a solid surface like a rock, fence post, or roof of a car. All the camera stores sell bean bags and a multitude of gadgets that cushion your camera when placing it on a solid surface. They work to protect your camera finish and also will put more of the camera in contact with the solid surface. I don’t use any of these products, but can see the benefit in using them.

6. Hold your breath while shooting. No…not until you turn blue and pass out. Prior to taking any photo, take a deep breath, let it partially out, hold your breath and then release the shutter. I’m talking about a second or two tops. At first, you will have to consciously remind yourself to do this. After a while it becomes second nature. I’ve been shooting for 35 years now, and holding my breath just happens. I know I do it, but am not aware of it.

So, next time you’re out shooting, give some of these techniques a try if you’re not already using them. They will help you steady your camera in any and all situations. Even if you are shooting at a fast enough shutter speed where blur won’t be an issue, these techniques will make you look more professional and you will feel in control.

Using these techniques and practicing will also let you eventually break one of the rules of photography. You’ve probably heard the old adage that when handheld, your camera’s shutter speed should never drop below the reciprocal of your lens focal length. Meaning that if you are using a 135mm lens, your shutter speed should be no lower than 1/135^th of a second (or something close like 1/125th). Using some good handholding techniques and breath control may allow you to drop down to 1/60^th of a second. For some of you…maybe even lower than that. Practicing and experimentation are the only things that will give you those answers.

Convey Motion in Your Photo by Blurring the Background

We use photography to tell a story. Conveying a three dimensional story in a two dimensional medium can be challenging at times. There are many little techniques we use to overcome these challenges. Blurring the background is one of those techniques.

Blurring the background separates your main subject from the background and suggests motion or speed. It can, however, be difficult to successfully blur out the background while holding your subject perfectly still in the camera’s frame. Here it the technique taught to me as a US Navy Photographer, and one I still use today.

1. Set the shutter speed of your camera low. You could have the best pan in the world, but if your shutter speed is too high, your going to freeze everything. You’ll have to experiment to find what works for your subject. The aircraft above was photographed at 1/250th of a second. 1/30th of a second may be a good place to start for someone running or on a bicycle.

2. Position yourself at the end of the pan. For example, if your subject will be moving left to right, position yourself facing to the right.

3. Wind yourself around to the start of the pan. Do not move your feet. You will feel a little uncomfortable since your body is twisted.

4. Have your camera close to your eye and ready to shoot. Your elbows should be tucked in tight against your body giving your camera a steady support.

5. As your subject comes into frame, bring the camera to your eye and begin to unwind your body as you hold the subject in frame. Pan slowly and smoothly.

6. At a predetermined point, trigger the shutter and make the photo. For those with multi-exposure capabilities, fire off a series of frames.

7. Do not stop your pan after making your photo(s). Just like in sports, follow through. Continue your pan until you body is square with your feet and you are fully unwound.

By unwinding your body as you pan your camera, you are moving from an uncomfortable to a comfortable position. Using this technique, there is a much better chance that you will remain steady and be successful at keeping your main subject sharp.

Now, go out and give it a try. Don’t get discouraged if your first attempts are totally out of focus. A good smooth pan and the ability to hold your subject in frame takes a little practice.

Those Amazing Maple Seed Pods

Can you believe it’s June already? As expected, my neighbor’s maple tree has begun dropping it’s seed pods, or “helicopters” as I like to call them.  They’re all over my yard, on my bushes, on my roof…I ‘m sure you know the drill. Not that I’m complaining. I’ve loved watching them spin to the ground since I was a child. I’m 51 now, and I still like to pick them up and throw them back up into the air.

While up on my roof cleaning a few thousand helicopters out of my gutters and downspouts, I had an idea. Why not see what I can do with some of them photographically.

Walking around my yard with my Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro mounted on my Nikon D7000, I found a lot of good backdrops to place the seed pods against. In many instances, I didn’t have to place anything. The seed pods where just sitting there waiting on me. Of everything I tried, I liked my little helicopter friends laying on hosta leaves the best.

 

During post production, I really liked the textures I was seeing. And being an older photographer who got his start shooting black and white negatives, I knew these textures would really pop in in black and white. I’ve been wanting to try Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro 2 anyway, so I downloaded the free 15-day trail and loaded it up as an extension to my Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.

 

I found Silver Efex Pro 2 very easy to use. To transition from Lightroom to Silver Efex, you select Edit In from the drop down Photo menu, or you can right click on the photo and select Edit In. From there, a copy of your image is created and opened inside Silver Efex Pro.

Once inside Silver Efex, there are 38 presets on the left side with examples of what your photo would look like. On the right side, you can custom tweak your image to get any black and white effect you desire. There is also a section called Film Types where you can make your image emulate the look of many of the old black and white films.

Although I like Silver Efex Pro 2, I don’t do enough with black and white to justify the $190 price tag for the software. Regardless, I am enjoying the free trial and have 12 more days left to play. If you have any interest in doing some black and white photo projects, I highly recommend you give Silver Efex Pro 2 a try. If nothing else, download the free trial and see what you can do with it.

For more information on the Silver Efex Pro 2, contact Nik Software.
http://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/usa/entry.php

Wind Box for Flower Photography

I do quite a bit of macro work outside, and a common problem when shooting flowers is getting them to stay still in the wind. It’s commonly a game of patience waiting for lulls in the wind. I am not what I would call a patient photographer though. Another option is getting up very early in the morning to get the photos before the sun heats the Earth which gets the whole wind machine going. Unfortunately, I’m not what I would call an early morning photographer either.

Mike Moats over at Tiny Landscapes has come up with an ingenious little wind box that can be used to wrap around your subjects in the field. This wind box is made from cheap Plexiglas and Gorilla Tape (stronger version of duct tape). It literally takes around 15 minutes to build. When not being used, it collapses flat for easy storage and carrying. You can find a link to Mike’s 14 minute build video here: Mike Moats Wind Box Build Video

 Wind box in use – Photo courtesy of Kirk Hallowell

I have personally tested the wind box in 15 MPH winds with gusts up to 20 mph. The wind box does a great job in keeping the flowers still. However, 20 mph gusts is pushing the limits of it’s effectiveness. At those speeds, it is possible for the wind to blow the wind box over with the potential of flattening your delicate subjects.

Here are a couple photographs I made of Pasque Flowers (Anemone patens) at Nachusa Grasslands near Franklin Grove, Illinois using the wind box. As you can see, despite high winds, I was able to get very fine detail. Both of these photos were taken on an overcast day with the camera set to ISO 200, 1/250th @ f/8.0.

Lone Tree at Nygren

This bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) at the Nygren Wetland Preserve against a fairly dramatic sky made for a good photo. Although it sits on somewhat dry land in the fall, during the wetter spring months, this tree sits in the middle of a very small lake. Nygren Wetland Preserve is located just outside Rockton, Illinois.

I used a circular polarizing filter to bring out the dramatic skies in this photo. I also had to find a good balance of cloud cover. A few minutes earlier, and I had clear blue sky. Not long after taking the photo, the sky was greyed out. It’s all about patience sometimes.