Part2
Holding and Shooting Techniques
Use The Viewfinder
With the weight discussion out of the way, we can look at different ways of holding your camera. A lot of people have gotten used to shooting images with their cell phones, so now that some DSLRs and most mirrorless cameras allow for “live view” shooting, people tend to shoot how they always do. I, for one, still require any camera that I use extensively to have a viewfinder of some kind – either optical or electronic.
Some of you may have done this little test, but if not – give this a try.
Just hold one or both of your hands straight out in front of you and observe how much natural motion – sway and such that you see. Then, bend your arms at the elbow and place your hands on either side of your face. Observe the sway and motion of your hands then. Notice anything? With your arms closer to your body, you’ll have less sway, less motion. The other bonus is that you’ll get less fatigued as well if you are shooting for a long period of time.
I’m not saying that you should never use the live view or tilt screen function of the cameras you have, but use them when they are necessary, not as the default way of shooting.
A solid support to the gear will also give you the ability to hand hold longer shutter speeds and still get images unaffected/less affected by camera shake. This in conjunction with some kind of image stabilization can be pretty powerful.
Use Two Hands
Kind of obvious, but a lot of people get slack on this sometime. You are more stable when using both hands to support the camera. Again, there are exceptions to the rule – just remember to keep them as an exception.
Support The Camera From The Bottom
Out shooting, I see a lot of other people holding the camera lens barrel from the top or the side - with their fingers on top of the lens and the thumb on the bottom. This can be a less stable shooting position for a number of reasons.
You are pinching the lens, which will cause hand fatigue.
You are holding your arm out from the body instead of in toward the body. This is less stable and fatigue causing.
It requires an awkward adjustment if you need to release the lens to re-grip it to turn the zoom/focus ring more.
Turn the zoom/focus ring from the bottom allows you to keep your arm tucked in to your side and if you need to re-adjust your fingers to work the lens rings, your left hand palm will be able to support the weight.
Another technique is to keep a grip on the zoom barrel and turn the camera instead, zooming this way. It changes your orientation for a bit, but one zoomed in, you can the re-adjust your orientation. I do this sometimes when I need to zoom quickly from one extreme to the other and the zoom throw is quite long. It doesn't work for focusing as well, though.
Proper Stance – Lessons From Martial Arts, Pistol and Rifle Shooting
I've practiced martial arts for many years, and one of the lessons you learn first is that you need to have a solid, stable base from which everything else rests upon. Take this same lesson for photography as well. Find something that works for you, but you should try and support the bulk of your body weight over your hips and knees. Don’t lunge too far forward or lean too far backwards.
If you need to get lower, widen your stance, shoot from a kneeling or laying position if appropriate. This also overlaps with shooting firearms. If you want to be accurate, you need to have a good base from the earth to the rifle. From rifle shooting, the other technique is breathing. When we breathe, our chest and shoulders move ever so slightly from diaphragm and lung movement. This translates into slight movement for your camera as well. If you can, line up your shot, then exhale your breathe and then hold at the end of the exhale while you squeeze (not pull or jerk) the shutter release.
External Support
Don’t underestimate the benefits of using a sign post, utility pole, the side of a building to stabilize your shot. You are not out in a void, interact with your environment.
I wouldn't want to dismiss the use of a tripod or monopod either, if it makes sense to use one. Not only does it make the camera base stationary, but it also prevents you from having to carry the weight of the gear.
Shooting In Portrait Orientation
Shooting in portrait orientation is when you rotate the camera 90 degrees and change the orientation of the sensor. Holding a 35mm camera “normally” creates a capture area that is wider than it is long. By rotating, it gives you a longer vertical and a shorter horizontal dimension. Lots of reasons to do this, but it puts us back into the “chicken wing” arm sticking out from the body situation. We already know that is not an optimal way to shoot, but if you do it rarely, then it is not likely to affect you that much.
If you do shoot in that orientation a lot, then consider adding an add-on grip with a second shutter release. This will allow you to have a similar portrait grip as you would with the camera in the landscape orientation.
Another option is something that I learned from a very knowledgeable photographer I met over at
fotozones.com, Bjorn Rorslett explained to me an alternative to holding cameras in portrait orientation. Holding the camera in the portrait orientation, you place your right hand along the bottom of the camera with the heel of your hand slightly under the camera, which is the cameras left side. Your left hand is placed along the top plate of the camera and you use your left index finger to actuate the shutter release.
Another consideration is shooting in square format, then there is no need to switch orientation because the capture area dimensions are the same on both sides. Not all cameras have this function, so you might need to rely on experience to frame the subject correctly for a square crop. Some cameras also have framing lines which might help as well.
Don’t Always Be Holding The Camera
Regardless of which strap system some people use, they always seem to be holding their cameras. I hold on to my camera when I’m in the heat of shooting, but when it does down, I put the camera back at hip position on the BlackRapid. I pull it back up when needed.
If you must hold the camera, don’t hold it out in one hand away from your body. Instead, cradle the lens and camera in your left arm and keep your arm close to your body. This works particularly well for larger, heavier lenses but is valid for just about any camera/lens combination.