Use A Tripod!

Using a tripod is essential when taking photos - and not just for night shots. To get ultra crisp and sharp pictures, your camera cannot move at all when the shutter is open. In some circumstances, even the tiny movements your hand makes are enough to make a slightly blurry image. The best way to ensure your camera does not move is to use a tripod or other camera stand.

On sunny days or when you use a really fast shutter speed, simply holding the camera in your hand will still produce a sharp image. But there's another reason for using a tripod on these occasions as well. Erecting the tripod causes you to SLOW DOWN and think a little more about the shot you're about to take. Because you're concentrating more, you'll have a better chance of composing your image correctly and ending up with a super shot.

Types of Camera Stands

Tripod. This is a three legged stand that attaches to the mount on your camera. This is the most common type of mount to hold your camera steady, and allows you to move your hands away from the camera completely and still have it steady in position.

Monopod. A variation on the tripod, this stand only has one leg. Attach the monopod to your camera, stand it on the ground and use your hands to ensure the camera and stand don't fall over. This helps because the monopod stops the camera moving up and down, and provides a rest for your hands so camera shake is reduced. For a bit of extra stability, lean yourself, or your camera against another sturdy object like a light pole.

Chainpod. An ingenious design consisting of a length of chain (or string) with a loop on one end large enough to place your foot into. The other end is attached to your camera. To use a Chainpod, place your foot through the loop and pull your camera up so the chain is tight while taking your photo. The tension in the chain will reduce camera shake just like a monopod. The great advantage of a chainpod is you can crunch it up and place it in your pocket!

Dolly. This is a tripod with wheels (and brakes!). A dolly allows you to move your tripod around easily without needing to lift your camera, but it's not so useful outdoors when the ground is uneven. There are dolly attachments available for regular tripods.

Car Window Mount. This gadget allows you to mount your camera to your car window to take photos of wildlife while still sitting in the car.

A Rock! Yes, you can use any ledge as a tripod when you need a sharp picture but don't have a tripod handy. You can also use a small bean bag to steady your camera and lens if your camera doesn't stand upright by itself.

Which should I purchase?

If you're just starting out, I recommend purchasing a standard tripod with telescoping legs that stands full length (5-6 feet). Make sure you get a sturdy (preferably all aluminum) model. Pick the heaviest model you can carry around with you.

Lightweight models are available, as are mini-tripods - Perfect for portability, but they don't have the stability of the larger models.

Using a Tripod

Most of the time, you just setup your tripod, place your camera on top and shoot! There are a few subtleties to using a tripod that can help enormously.

- The longer the legs of the tripod, the less steady the tripod becomes. Extend your tripod legs only enough to enable you to get your camera into the correct position.

- Sometimes the act of depressing the shutter causes movement in the camera. To minimize this, use your other hand and press down on the top of the camera directly above the tripod mount. This will help to further reduce movement.

- You're most likely to need your tripod when your camera is fully zoomed in. When fully zoomed in, any small shake is likely to show on the image.

Other Tripod Secrets

- Try to find a tripod with a built in level. The level will help ensure your landscape shots are completely straight and save needing to rotate the image slightly in your computer to get a level horizon.

- Specialized lenses are available that can compensate for camera shake. They are called "Image Stabilizers" or "Vibration Reduction lenses". They can be rather expensive, so I recommend sticking with a tripod.

- Try to get a tripod with a quick release mount. This will enable you to quickly remove the camera from your tripod should you need to take a quick 'candid' shot.

David Peterson has a great love of photography and has created a series of free tips at http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/ to help digital photography users everywhere take better photos.

---

Photography Success Without School

What I learned from a mentor that enabled me to... Read More

7 Things You Must Do If You Want To Make That Perfect Camera Shot

Saturate yourself with your subject and the camera will all... Read More

Should You Print Your Digital Photos at Home or Use a Photo Printing Service?

There are lots of options available for getting your digital... Read More

Who Had The Better Brushes Leonardo or Michelangelo?

Ordinary photos of dull subjects do actually sell, but the... Read More

Using Film Speed Effectively (Black & White Film Thoughts)

It's hard to find sometimes but it's making a resurgence,... Read More

Freelance Photography: How to Begin Your Career

Photography is a vast world. There are many different types... Read More

Light and Depth of Field

With such a fantastic device as the digital camera for... Read More

Digital Camera Interpolation Explained

In a device such as a digital camera it is... Read More

Landscape Photography - Capture the Beauty That is All Around

There are many different types of photography. You can take... Read More

The Advantages of Underwater Camera Housing

You will need an underwater camera housing to keep your... Read More

Start Up a Travel Photography Business

Too many people have the idea that being paid to... Read More

Taking Panoramic Landscapes - The Easy Solution

I love panoramas. There's something very appealing about their shape.... Read More

A Guide to Disposable Digital Cameras

Disposable Cameras (also called single-use cameras) first came on the... Read More

Digital Cameras and Digital Photography

Before you rush into buying your digital camera this holiday... Read More

Canadas Digital Cameras, Digital Camcorders and Cheap Memory Cards Canada

Digital SLR Camera or Digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is... Read More

Candid Photography

Candid photography is photography that focuses on spontaneity rather than... Read More

Wedding Photography: How to Become a Successful Wedding Photographer

Once in while I receive e-mails or phone calls from... Read More

Digital Image Files ? Megapixels, Megabytes, or DPI?

When I promised readers that I was going to do... Read More

Digital Film Processing is Really the Only Option for Truly Quality Prints

Digital photography has taken off like wildfire these days, primarily... Read More

Digital Photography: The RAW vs JPG Debate

If you use a digital camera (I use a Canon... Read More

9 Tips For Taking Great Digital Photos

IntroductionModern cameras are highly automatic in operation. They have auto... Read More

Photography 101 Part 3

ContentEven if you feel that you already know what kind... Read More

How to Easily Start Up Your Own New Photography Business From Home

With modern technology in the form of SLR digital cameras,... Read More

Make More of Your Photos

We all want to make the most of our wedding... Read More

Nikon Digital Cameras - Cool(pix) and Functional

Even though Nikon entered the camera world by 1948, today... Read More

The Best Wildlife Camera To Take On Safari

Good wildlife camera equipment on safari can make the difference... Read More

Black & White Photography

Photography is a diversified field of creating a spectral variety... Read More

Four Unique Ways for the Pet Portrait Artist to Stand Out

The warm feelings are flowing all around when the pet... Read More

Digital Zoom Versus Optical Zoom

The digital camera is but a technological advancement of the... Read More

Is your Digital Camera Compatible With Your Computer?

So you recently bought a digital camera or perhaps your... Read More

How to take Great Photos of Your Pet

We all love our animals. They do such funny, adorable,... Read More

Applications of Underwater Video Cameras

There's so much you can do with an underwater video... Read More

Photography - Rules of Composition

Composition is defined as the combining of distinct parts or... Read More