FRIDAY TIP: Preventing the Photographic Shake, Rattle and Roll

90% of the time photographers are looking for an image that is sharp and in focus and the best way to acheive this is by selecting the correct shutter speed to ensure that the image is sharp. 

As a photographer who specialises in landscapes I use a tripod which allows me the freedom to select whatever shutter / aperture combination I need but a tripod is not always convenient.  So what are the different options available to the photographer.

Handheld Images - use the correct stance to support the camera

Most images are taken handheld, either at arms length a la mobile phone / compact camera, or with the camera up to the face looking through the viewfinder.  The 'arms length' method is the least stable because movement in your arms will be transmitted to the camera. 

With the camera against your face the photographer becomes a sort of tripod, especially if you stand correctly with your feet apart.  Supporting the camera with one hand under the lens also reduces the chance of camera shake.  Also stability can be further improved by leaning against a wall, tree, lamp post etc to give yourself that extra support.

The correct way to hold a camera with a viewfinder - whether it is a DSLR, CSC, Bridge or Compact. 

The minimum shutter / focal length rule

All these methods reduce the risk of camera shake.  There is a good rule for reducing the risk of camera shake further and that is to never use a shutter speed slower than the focal length of the lens you are using. 

For example if you are shooting with a 60mm lens then you use a shutter speed of 1/60 or higher, adjusting the aperture / ISO rating to ensure the shutter speed stays at the level.  

This is not a hard and fast rule, especially in these days of image stabilisation and lightweight cameras, but as a starting point I have always found this to be a good thing to remember. 

Camera supports

Tripods: The obvious camera support is a tripod and these range from small travel tripods up to the big studio based beasts that your wouldn't want to take any distance due to their weight.  Always get the best tripod you can afford and then look after it.  Your tripod is your friend when you want to take pin sharp images. 

Find local support: The cheapest support is free and this is the nearest wall or gate or other solid object you can rest your camera on.  These are brilliant but you are stuck with the location of the object as they are usually not moveable.  But use them if they are available.

Small Tripods, beanbags, monopod:  There are a number of items on the market and two of the best are the Gorillapod tripods and the beanbag.  The Gorilla pod fits in the top of my camera case, it can be used as a normal tripod or the flexible, sectioned legs can be wrapped around railings, poles or other solid objects to provide stability and a little height if necessary. 

The beanbag can be used to provide stable support on rocks, walls etc and also over car windows when using your car as a portable hide.

Monopods are seen as the preserve of the sports photographer who needs the support for the massive telephoto lenses.  Monopods are useful for all sorts of photography and provide great support when working.  Obviously they are not as good as a tripod but when working in tight areas a monopod can be invaluable when shutter speeds are low.

Other Items for reducing camera shake

A cable release is one of the most useful items a photographer can own.  It can reduce the risk of camera shake by negating the need for the photographer to actually touch the camera to release the shutter.  The cable release can also be used to hold the shutter open when taking extremely long exposures. 

The longest shutter speed most cameras have is 30 seconds.  By selecting 'bulb' the photographer can keep the shutter open as long as the shutter release is pressed.  It isn't possible to keep you finger on the shutter release for a long time without introducing camera shake.  This is where the cable release comes in and by locking it when the shutter is pressed you can keep the exposure going until you want to close it again.

TIP: If you don't have a cable release you can use the camera's self timer function to trip the shutter so you don't have to press the shutter release yourself.  The only problem with this method is you are limited to the cameras longest shutter speed, you can't use 'bulb'. 

Some DSLRs, like the Nikon D800, have a Mirror Lock Up facility

Mirror Lock Up

Some DSLRs have a 'mirror lock up' facility.  this is very useful for long exposure pictures.  By selecting this option when you press the shutter the mirror moves up out of the way and then you press the shutter release again to take the image.  There is a risk of vibration when the mirror moves up out of the path of the light when the image is taken.  By moving the mirror up before the image is taken, this risk is minimised.  However the downside is the fact the viewfinder goes dark so you need to compose the image on a tripod or other support before you select the mirror lock up.

Live View is the same as mirror lock up as the mirror is moved out of the way of the light path. This is a good alternative to the previous method as you can still see the image on the live screen.

Of course mirrorless cameras such as the Fuji X-Pro1 and X100 don't have this issue as the name suggests.

Conclusion

There are plenty of time honoured ways of supporting your camera and I have listed just a few of the methods I use. 

When the available light dictates that the shutter speeds drop to a level that might introduce camera shake, resulting in an image that isn't pin sharp either provide the camera with some support, open up the aperture to allow more light in or if both these methods are not available, or you are at maximum aperture, then push the ISO up a few notches.  This will introduce noise to your image and some cameras are better than others at controlling noise. 

But remember it is better to have a sharp, if slightly noisy image, than a soft image.  Noise can be cancelled out to a degree in post processing but a soft image is usually only fit for the recycling bin.

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