09 Jan Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Holding Your Camera, But Were Afraid to Ask
for Boomeryearbook.com by Barbara Stitzer
Ok, so first of all, the most important thing about taking pictures is not the size of the camera, not the megapixels, or film quality or camera brand. It’s not even how much money you spent on the camera. The most important thing about taking a picture is how you hold your camera. “How you hold a camera? How no brainer can you get?” You might ask. Au Contraire. How you hold your camera can change your entire picture taking game.
When I see people taking pictures and holding their cameras wrong, I really want to go up and tell them what to do, but I’ve tried it and no one has ever thanked me…instead, they kind of act like they want to kill me for it, so maybe if I talk about it in a very safe place like this forum, everyone will know how to hold their cameras and I will finally be able to rest.
We’re mainly talking SLR type cameras here, because the bigger the lens, the bigger the impact on the shot you’re about to take and movement can make, but Point and Shooters, lend an ear, because this does apply to you as well.
Pick up your camera and hold it like you normally would take a picture. Your right hand is gripping the camera, index finger on the trigger…that’s the no brainer part, you’re right. But now look at your left hand and elbow. First put your left hand straight out in the air for 60 seconds. Do you notice any wavering or shaking? At any age, the answer most likely would be yes. Most people shoot with their left hand over their lens, pressing down on it, with their left elbow out and away from their bodies. If you hold your camera that way for more than a couple of seconds, the weight of your unbraced hand against the camera will cause the camera to shake, thus blurring your pictures. Your hand should be palm UP, underneath the lens of the SLR or DSLR, or under the body of the point and shoot, not on top of the camera pushing down on it. Your elbows should be in, bracing tightly against your body, so that if you have any shake, or if you’re shooting at an exposure slower than 1/60th of a second, you’re braced against your body, which is bigger and most likely less shaky than your hands. What about the strap? Some people like putting it around their necks, and while that’s a super safe way of holding a camera, it always makes me feel claustrophobic, but with your NEW way of holding your camera, if someone knocks it or you need your right hand for some reason, your left hand is there already underneath, holding the camera as backup. Woo Hoo! You’re now ready to take beautiful, vibrant, amazing pictures.
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