Holding your Camera

There is no particular way to hold a camera but you need to adapt your own technique according to the type and model of the camera that you are using. The more comfortable you are with your camera, the easier it is to use it and your photography will gain more fluidity and confidence.

One of the major problems plaguing digital cameras is slow response speed technically called ‘shutter lag’. Shutter lag is the time interval between the moment you click the shutter release button and the instant the image is recorded. Longer the shutter lag, greater is the chance for shake or blur to appear in the image that you have clicked. Images also become blurred when you use low shutter speeds or when you shoot in low light situations.

The best way to avoid shake in the pictures is to use a higher shutter speed. But if you have to deliberately use a lower shutter speed you could use a tripod or a stable surface. The cheaper way out is to learn how to hold the camera properly. Preferably use both hands to keep the camera stable.

•Firmly hold the right hand end of the camera in your right hand. Your index finger should gently rest on the shutter release button while the other three fingers in the front should grip the front of the camera. The thumb should hold the back of the camera. Use the thumb to change the controls on the back of the camera.

•Use the left hand to support the weight of the camera. Either the hand should under the camera as in a point and shoot camera, or around the camera if you have a heavier DSLR or advanced point and shoot camera.






•Shoot with a viewfinder if you have one. Hold the camera against your face. This provides more stability to your shots.














•If you are shooting with the LCD screen, hold the camera with both hands, rest your elbows on your body and don’t keep the camera too far away from you.




•When you use a long focal length or zoom lens, lean on some support like a wall to give more stability to your shot.






•Use a half-kneeling position when there is no convenient support. Your knee and feet form a stable tripod. Your left arm can be supported by your left knee.

•Before you take your shot take a gentle, deep breath, hold it, then take the shot and exhale. The other method is to exhale and before inhaling again, taking the shot.

•Never ‘press’ the shutter release button, rather squeeze it slowly so that the camera doesn’t shake initially.


As a final word, know your camera in and out. As soon as you get your camera, familiarize yourself with the controls in such a way that you will be able to change them without looking at them and choose a comfortable method to hold the camera and stick to it.


Just TPS (umm.. Think Point & Shoot yo :))


The Guild

Acknowledgements
The Guild would like to Thank Model Monu a lot for her consistent efforts in making this blog post a reality. Without her inputs, we could not have made our point any clearer than it is with all the pics you see on this page.